Cardinal Telesphore P Toppo is leading the celebrations in Italy as Sonia Gandhi inches closer to the Prime Minister’s chair

Ranchi, May 16: Those who fear, with Sonia-baiter Narendra Modi, that Indians might have a new version of the national song — Vande MataRome — after the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of India, might consider this message from Rome. The medium is none other than Cardinal Telesphore P.Toppo.

In the Vatican to attend celebrations commemorating 40 years of inter-religious dialogues pioneered by the Roman Catholic Church in India, Cardinal Toppo said the Italians he met are rejoicing at the prospect of Sonia becoming the next Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy. Not because she would make pasta popular from Pune to Pondicherry; but because she has completely immersed herself in Indian culture and has been accepted by India, in return.

Speaking to The Telegraph over the phone from Rome, the Cardinal said, “Today, I presided over a mass attended by over 200 people, all Italians. After the mass, the people told me that they did not consider Sonia an Italian anymore but an Indian who has adopted Indian culture thoroughly”.

“The people are praying that Sonia is be able to serve the people of India better and carve an important place for the country she has adopted on the world map,” Toppo revealed.

“All the people who call on me at Rome are happy that Sonia will be the next Prime Minister of India. But surprisingly, not a single person refers to her as an Italian. For them, she is an Indian to the core,” the Cardinal said. The Cardinal said he was unable to get the complete picture of the 14th Lok Sabha results from Rome but he said the mandate proved once more the continuing faith of the people of India on peaceful co-existence and communal peace and harmony.

“The people of the country has rejected the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre since they felt that it was guided, directly or indirectly, by fundamentalists,” the Cardinal said.

Toppo also spoke about the inter-religious dialogue begun by the Late Pope John Paul I after he landed at Mumbai in 1964. The Pope, Toppo said, had personally given a new dimension to the concept of peaceful co-existence. Ever since, the Roman Catholic Church in India has held dialogues with leaders of various religions to enable a peaceful co-existence.

He, however, rued the lack of progress on this front with Hindu religious leaders. “We are yet to have a dialogue with the RSS or even the Holy Sankaracharyya though we hope to sit across the table with them one day and remove any misgivings that they might harbour,” the Cardinal, who is also the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, the highest body in India, said. Toppo reiterated the Church’s opposition to forced conversions. He said the people are free to chose their religion just as they are free to cast their vote for any political party.