At a meeting or rather felicitation ceremony conducted by the Tamil Nadu Christian Churches Federation on 9 June 2026, former chairman of Tamil Nadu’s State Minorities Commission and ex-Congress MLA Peter Alphonse claimed Jesus performed a miracle and made Joseph Vijay the Chief Minister of the state.
Speaking to the audience, he said, “Pastor Nelson has organized a wonderful event on behalf of the Federation of Christian Churches in Tamil Nadu. It serves as a felicitation ceremony for the Honorable Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and a reception to honor our dear brother Vanniyarasu who serves in the Cabinet representing the Scheduled Castes and oppressed communities. At the same time, it is an occasion to submit a memorandum to the newly elected government, reminding them of our long-standing demands and needs that remain unfulfilled despite repeated representations. I am delighted to meet you all at this excellent gathering. We are closely observing both national and state politics; as members of a minority community, we realize every day the immense challenges involved in living in this country.”
He continued, “Although the nation is described as secular, we see that the prevailing trend across the country is to view every event and issue through the prism of religion. While we in the southern states remain relatively calm, the media fails to bring the events unfolding in the northern states to our attention or to the public eye. This is because fascist, communal forces acting through their allied corporate tycoons, have taken control of the entire media landscape, whether visual or print. They effectively black out information that ought to reach the public, ensuring that details regarding the atrocities committed against minorities in the northern and northeastern states remain untold. Recently, a pastor’s family from Manipur in the Northeast released a poignant audio recording. In it, they clearly explained not only the challenges of ministry but also the grave threat to life involved in simply living as a Christian in that state, highlighting the precarious and unsafe conditions in which their family resides. Typically, during holiday periods, many young people and evangelists from here travel to Northern states to proclaim the Gospel; however, an unwritten rule is now being enforced across many of these states, mandating the immediate arrest and imprisonment of anyone who goes there to preach the Good News.”
Speaking about the ‘miracle’, he said, “It is against this backdrop that a new government has assumed office in Tamil Nadu. In the history of independent India and specifically in the history of Tamil Nadu, God has brought about a monumental miracle at a time when no one could have even imagined that someone named Joseph Vijay would become the Chief Minister. This election has loudly proclaimed many messages; it holds the distinction of shattering the dominance of caste, religion, and money in politics and bringing the true values of democracy to the forefront. Regarding this, consider the “Vijay factor” as a definitive end to such communal politics. Just imagine, as I discussed on a television channel yesterday, what the election results in Tamil Nadu would have looked like without the Vijay factor. How many seats would the BJP or the AIADMK have secured? If the BJP had managed to get even 15 or 20 MLAs, would they have spared Tamil Nadu? This election deserves credit for wiping the BJP out completely in a single contest. Even the single seat won in Ooty was due to internal disarray within the Congress party; otherwise, they wouldn’t have won that seat either. The majority of the people in the Nilgiris did not look at caste or religion; they sought a positive change and voted with the conviction that this young man possesses the capability to bring about that transformation. We are truly blessed to witness such a promising era firsthand.”
He continued, “As our Pastor mentioned, Indian politics is gearing up for a complete, revolutionary transformation—moving away from the era of “established” political parties and long-standing figures who boast, “I have been an MP ten times, an MLA eight times, a minister five times; I am the permanent minister, the permanent leader, the permanent district secretary – if not me, then my son…” Joseph Vijay has completely shattered the status quo leaving no trace of the old order behind. Regardless of caste or religion, across the constituencies where largesse was distributed, the people accepted the money—without letting it dictate their choice—and then went straight to the polling booth to cast their votes for the ‘Whistle’ symbol. Honestly, even I used to wonder and ask my dear friend JCD, why he had made such a decision. But then, isn’t He the Lord who performs miracles? Driven by a deep desire for change – a change that had become inevitable, we have witnessed these election results.”
He added, “For a long time, our singular demand has been the inclusion of Scheduled Caste Christians under the Scheduled Caste category. This cause has gone through various stages; there is even a dedicated movement, the Dalit Christian Movement actively campaigning for this. Every year, we dedicate a specific day to hold demonstrations and protests. We have frequently filed petitions with the Supreme Court regarding this issue. Just as the case was about to be heard, the Modi government, anticipating the proceedings, immediately appointed a new commission led by Justice Balakrishnan. This was done despite the fact that the earlier Ranganath Misra Commission had already submitted a clear report stating that there had been no change in their social status.”
He continued, “The Ranganath Misra Commission report clearly established that while they may have converted to another religion, their social standing remains unchanged; they continue to be viewed and treated as “untouchables” or members of the oppressed classes. The Supreme Court was poised to issue an order based on that report. Benefits meant for Scheduled Castes are available to those who convert to Buddhism or Sikhism, yet they are denied to those who convert to Christianity. The argument raised was based on Article 14 (Equality before the Law): if Sikhs and Buddhists receive these benefits, why shouldn’t I? The core argument, supported by the Ranganath Misra Commission, was that religious conversion does not alter one’s fundamental social position. However, four days before the verdict was due, the Modi government intervened; claiming the Ranganath Misra report lacked certain information, they appointed the Justice Balakrishnan Commission instead. This is the battle that must now be fought in the Supreme Court.
We have also demanded that a resolution regarding this matter be passed in the Legislative Assembly.”
He continued, “While I was serving as the Chairperson of the Commission, I personally reached out to leaders such as Sinthanai Selvan of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Selva Perunthagai of the Congress party, and heads of other parties; we sought a resolution on this matter in the Legislative Assembly, and that resolution was indeed passed. This matter does not fall within the purview of the State Legislative Assembly; it must be enacted entirely by the Parliament. When I was a Member of Parliament during Vajpayee’s tenure as Prime Minister, Advani and Vajpayee convened a meeting with all parties to seek suggestions prior to the budget presentation; Mr. Chidambaram (former Minister) and I attended on behalf of the Tamil Maanila Congress. When asked about our demands, I outlined them all and finally mentioned that we had one crucial request. Vajpayee remained silent, but Advani looked at me, asking, “What is it?” I replied, “It concerns the issue of Dalit Christians – the converted Scheduled Caste Christians must be considered as Scheduled Caste Christians.” Upon hearing this, Advani immediately sprang up from his chair, No! he said. We are all aware of Advani’s current situation. Since this matter is currently before the Supreme Court, it must be handled effectively; our lawyers are actively working on it there. A lawyer named John Dayal is handling the case excellently. Therefore, we will continue to pursue this matter in the future. Discussing it with our Chief Minister and bringing a resolution before the Assembly once again is a straightforward step.”
He further said, “Resolutions to this effect have already been passed in seven or eight State Assemblies. Let us wait and see what the coming days bring. There is only one thing I would humbly request of you all: we live in a pluralistic society, and within it, we exist as a minority. As a minority, we cannot claim rights that are greater than those enjoyed by the majority population. However, some among us fail to grasp this. Communal political parties exploit the sentiment that “minority rights supersede the rights of the majority” to alter public perception. They sow seeds of hatred among the people by questioning why minorities enjoy so many rights, educational institutions, and concessions asking why the majority does not receive the same and claiming that the government favors only minorities while the majority (comprising 85% of the population) ought to be the ones determining the course of events. It is precisely this sowing of hatred that fuels the growth of communal politics; we must ensure that we do not contribute to the rise of such politics in any way. It is up to our community leaders to provide the necessary guidance in this regard. We ask only for what is rightfully ours; we have never been driven by greed. Ours is a community that lives with integrity and has never lent support to any form of illegality. We must continue to progress as a community that excels in education and upholds the highest human values, and the government will assist us in this endeavor. As for people like us having, as he said, “finished the race”, our role now is to determine how we can help, whom we can assist, and whom we can guide. We remain ever available for this purpose. In the past, whenever a church faced an issue, Brother Nelson would immediately step in; we would promptly speak with the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police to resolve the matter. We can certainly continue this work. Let us all be prepared to lead lives that are just, disciplined, and in accordance with the Constitution; let us remain courageous, knowing that the Divine is with us.”
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