MUMBAI, India – Shocked by the surge of violence especially during the Christmas season in India, over 400 senior Christian leaders and 30 church groups issued an urgent appeal on Dec. 31 to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for immediate action to address the surge in violence against Christians.
The appeal comes after at least 14 incidents of violence, threats, and disruptions targeted Christian gatherings across the country during the Christmas season, the leaders and church groups wrote in a press release.
Prominent signatories of the appeal include Bishop Thomas Abraham, Bishop David Onesimu, Bishop Joab Lohara, Richard Howell, Mary Scaria, Cedric Prakash S.J., John Dayal, Prakash Louis S.J., Zelhou Keyho, E.H. Kharkongor, Allen Brooks, K. Losii Mao, Akhilesh Edgar, Michael Willams, A.C. Michael and Vijayesh Lal.
They pointed to troubling statistics, including over 720 incidents of violence targeting Christians reported to the Evangelical Fellowship of India and 760 cases recorded by the United Christian Forum between January and November 2024.
The appeal highlights systemic concerns, including the misuse of anti-conversion laws, growing threats to religious freedoms, escalating hate speech, and exclusionary policies denying Dalit Christians Scheduled Caste status.
The leaders also urged the prime minister to take a visible role in fostering peace and reconciliation in Manipur, where violence has resulted in over 250 deaths, 360 destroyed churches, and thousands displaced since May 2023.
The Christian leaders called on the president and prime minister to take “concrete steps” to address the situation, including ordering swift and impartial investigations into incidents targeting religious minorities, issuing clear guidelines to state governments on protecting constitutional rights to religious freedom, initiating regular dialogue with representatives of all faith communities, and protecting the fundamental right to freely profess and practice one’s faith.
The appeal emphasises that inclusivity and harmony are vital for India’s moral fabric, economic prosperity, and social unity.
Founded in 1980 though with roots in earlier Hindu nationalist movements, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party stresses the importance of preserving and defending India’s Hindu identity, an ideology sometimes described by observers as a “saffron wave.” Since the party came to power in the national government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, Christians and other religious minorities in India, especially Muslims, have complained of increasing harassment and marginalization.
Several states have adopted controversial anti-conversion laws establishing penalties including prison terms for coerced or fraudulent conversion, which critics charge is often used to intimidate religious minorities.
Christians say such laws have encouraged anti-Christian actions in the Hindu-majority nation.
On Christmas day at an event in the state of Haryana in the district of Rohtak Hindutva, Hindu activists disrupted Christian gatherings.
In Haryana’s Ambala district’s Barnala village, members of the Bajrang Dal interrupted a prayer session, attended by around 100 people, with slogans of “Jai Shri Ram,” a Hindu-nationalist slogan. Bajrang Dal alleged “forced conversion” activities.
In the North East state of Meghalaya in the East Khasi Hills district, a Hindu “social influencer” entered the Mawlynnong village Church, trespassed into the altar area on St. Stephen’s Day on Dec. 26 and shouted “Jai Shri Ram” and posted it online.
Meanwhile, three members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) disrupted Christmas celebrations at a government school in Palakkad, Kerala, and verbally threatened teachers.
In Odisha’s Balasore district, on December 26 – members of the New Life Church were attacked while celebrating Christmas with the Pentecostal pastor’s family, a mob of local area extremists attacked the gathering, they verbally and physically abused members, as the mob shouted accusations of forced conversion.
In the state of Punjab, a Pentecostal pastor was attacked on accusations of trying to convert people, while in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur and Jaisalmer cities, activists unleashed violence against teachers and students of schools celebrating Christmas.
“There have been wide spread violence against the Christians, especially in north India, central India and northeast India,” said Jesuit Father Prakash Louis, of the Pratna Jesuit Migrant Service.
“These were very well planned and executed by the Hindutva forces with the connivance of local officials. The silence of the state and central government emboldens those who were engaged in the violence of the Christian minority,” he told Crux.
“Article 25 of the Constitution of India gives specific right ‘Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion.’ Christmas is one of the most celebrated festivals among the Christians. Interestingly, it has become the celebration of people of all faith. But the Sangh Parivar groups to push their agenda of majoritarianism have unleashed a reign of terror on the Christians,” the priest said.
Louis said this is why a group of Christians have jointly appealed to the President of India voicing their concerns and registering their protest against these incidents.
“Also, we have asked for justice to be done to those who were affected,” the Jesuit said.
“It is also in a way expressing regret to the leaders of the established Church that the Christians are displeased with their Christmas celebrations with Modi on the 23rd December, 2024. Also their studied silence when violence is unleashed on ordinary Christians,” he continued.
“Further, the violence that is going on in Manipur has to be once again brought to the mind of the President so that it is attended to. It is also in a way waking up the sleeping Christian community from its slumber and work together to get its rights and dignity,” Louis told Crux.
