“Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, frequently invoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJ), ring hollow in the face of relentless attacks on minorities, their places of worship and their festivals. These assaults have intensified over the last eleven years. Recent attacks by BJP leaders and Hindutva vigilante groups on Christians – including verbal abuse directed at people celebrating Christmas – reveal a disturbing pattern of hate and intimidation aimed at denying citizens their cultural liberty and their constitutionally guaranteed right to practise their faith.Vicious and frightening attacks have been carried out with impunity in several parts of the country, largely in BJP-ruled states. Even shopkeepers, including impoverished vendors professing Hinduism and other faiths – not just Chiristianity – selling roadside replicas of Santa Claus or Christmas caps have been threatened with dire consequences if they did not stop. This is despite their constitutionally protected right to engage in trade and commerce.The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), in an alarming violation of the constitution and norms of civilised conduct, has appealed to Hindus not to participate in Christmas celebrations, invoking so-called ‘cultural awareness’ to justify its actions. In reality, its campaigns have targeted people irrespective of faith. Shopkeepers, shopping malls and educational institutions have all come under attack.Such intolerance towards Christians and all those associated with the joyful celebration of Christmas threatens the constitution and the very idea of India. That idea was shaped and sustained by the vision and values of figures such as Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.Swami Vivekananda on being HinduSwami Vivekananda was warmly received by Christians in the United States following his historic address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. In letters to his disciples in India, he wrote, “I am here amongst the children of the Son of Mary and the Lord Jesus will help me.” He consistently emphasised that Hinduism did not merely tolerate other religions but sought unity with them. As he famously declared:“We Hindus do not merely tolerate; we unite ourselves with every religion – praying in the mosque of the Mohammedan, worshipping before the fire of the Zoroastrian, and kneeling to the Cross of the Christian.”For Vivekananda, all religions were attempts by the human soul to grasp and realise the Infinite. As he put it, “All religions alike, from the lowest fetishism to the highest absolutism, are but so many attempts of the human soul to grasp and realise the Infinite.”This understanding led him to a powerful image of harmony among faiths: “So we gather all these flowers, and, binding them together with the cord of love, make them into a wonderful bouquet of worship.”These words reflected a deeply rooted cultural consciousness grounded in respect for all faiths. True to this spirit, on the eve of Christmas on December 24, 1895, Vivekananda wrote to an American friend, Mrs Bull, wishing her a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and praying for her peace and good health. That example remains profoundly relevant.Also read: Reading Vivekananda Against the Hindutva GrainThose who today target Christians and intimidate people of other faiths for celebrating Christmas stand in direct opposition to everything Swami Vivekananda represented.Gandhi’s idea of faith and worshipWhat Vivekananda articulated was fully reflected in the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi drew inspiration for Satyagraha from many figures, including Jesus Christ, Prahlad of the Hindu tradition, Socrates of Greek history and Imam Hussain of Islam. They were the moral exemplars whose lives demonstrated the power of truth and sacrifice. Their ideas reinforced his belief in the essential unity of religions.On October 28, 1911, writing in Indian Opinion, Gandhi referred to the arrest of a Hindu in South Africa for bursting firecrackers on Diwali. The arrest was challenged by Dawad Mahomed, a Muslim, and Rustomjee, a Parsi, who pointed out that Christians were allowed to celebrate their festivals in the same manner without police interference.Faced with this display of interfaith solidarity, the authorities released the arrested man. Gandhi observed that such unity in defending one another’s religious festivals strengthened fraternity across religious boundaries.Respect for all religions and their festivals remained central to Gandhi’s thinking throughout his life. On Christmas Day, December 25, 1944, he stated, “We hold all religions in equal respect and all such festivals deserve respect.”He urged that such occasions should encourage meditation and introspection rather than outward display, reminding people that Jesus accepted the Cross in pursuit of what he believed to be truth.On January 26 the following year, Gandhi reiterated: “For us who believe in the equality of all religions, the birth of Jesus Christ is as worthy of veneration as that of Rama, Krishna, etc.”This outlook reflected the inclusive vision that guided India’s freedom struggle, the framing of the constitution and the process of nation-building after independence.Also read: As India Crosses a Landmark Anniversary, Here Are My Dreams for the FutureOn December 24, 1945, speaking at a prayer meeting in Sodepur, Gandhi urged people to respect all religions of the world as their own. On Christmas Day, December 25, 1946, at a prayer meeting in Srirampur, he observed:“Jesus Christ might be looked upon as belonging to Christians only, but he really did not belong to any community, inasmuch as the lesson that Jesus Christ gave belonged to the whole world.”On December 24, 1947, at a prayer meeting in Delhi, Gandhi remarked, “Christmas is to Christians what Diwali is to us.” He also cautioned, “Really, neither Diwali nor Christmas is an occasion when we should indulge in revelry and lose our heads… I do not regard Christmas as an occasion for people to indulge in drunkenness.”While extending greetings to Christians in India and abroad, Gandhi made his position unmistakably clear:“It has never been my wish that the freedom of India should mean the ruin of the Christians here, or that they should become Hindus or Muslims or Sikhs… For a Christian to become a Hindu or a Muslim is a fate worse than death.”In his view, “A Christian should become a better Christian, a Muslim a better Muslim, and a Sikh a better Sikh.”This inclusive vision, rooted in mutual respect and equality among faiths, must be defended today. The responsibility lies with those in power to protect the Constitution and uphold the equal dignity of all religions, especially at moments such as Christmas when intolerance is being openly encouraged.S.N. Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K.R. Narayanan.