Tolerance in Tatters

Safeguard Rights of Christians

Fr Suresh Mathew Pallivathukal

As the world’s largest democracy, India has long prided itself on its diversity and tolerance. The alarming rise in attacks on Christians, their places of worship, and institutions is a threat not only to the Christian community but to the very fabric of India’s secular society.

A disturbing trend of escalating violence against Christians in India has continued, with 2024 recording 834 incidents in just 366 days. This marks a significant increase of exactly 100 incidents over the previous year, which saw 734 incidents. The alarming frequency of attacks translates to more than two Christians being targeted every day in India simply for practicing their faith.

In 2025, there have been 378 incidents of violence on Christians in India as per the reports of the UCF. Data compiled from complaints received on the United Christian Forum (UCF) Helpline reveals a sharp year-on-year increase in incidents of violence against Christians since 2014.

The numbers are as follows:

2014: 127 incidents

2015: 142 incidents

2016: 226 incidents

2017: 248 incidents

2018: 292 incidents

2019: 328 incidents

2020: 279 incidents

2021: 505 incidents

2022: 601 incidents

2023: 734 incidents

2024: 834 incidents

2025: 378 incidents in 6 months

It means, there were 4694 attacks on Christians during the last 11 years of Modi rule. This upward trend raises serious concerns about the safety and well-being of Christians in India. During the last Christmas season alone, at least 14 incidents targeting Christians were reported, ranging from threats and disruptions to arrests and outright attacks, underscoring an alarming trend of rising intolerance and hostility.

These attacks are not just random acts of violence; they are carefully orchestrated and perpetrated with impunity. The perpetrators, frequently affiliated with extremist nationalist groups, seek to intimidate and marginalize us, undermining our right to freedom of religion and belief.

The spurt in attacks has phenomenally gone up after new anti-conversion laws have been enacted in many BJP-ruled States. The government’s response to these attacks has been woefully inadequate. Despite repeated assurances of protection and justice, the authorities have failed to take decisive action against the perpetrators, allowing a culture of impunity to thrive.

The consequences of inaction are far-reaching. The Christian community, which has contributed significantly to India’s social, educational, and healthcare sectors, feels increasingly vulnerable and disenfranchised. The attacks also undermine India’s reputation as a tolerant and inclusive society, damaging its relationships with other countries and eroding investor confidence.

There have been voices of concern and condemnation coming from several countries and world organizations censuring these attacks. Right now, the entire nation is speaking about the inhuman treatment meted out to nuns in Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh.

Let me highlight a few recent incidents of violence on Christians in the country.

Here are a few attacks on Christians in 2024-2025.

1. Arrest of Fr Anil CMI: Fr Anil Mathew, a CMI priest, who has been managing a hostel for slum kids, was arrested on charges of violating provisions of a child protection law in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 7 January 2024. He was the director of Aanchal, a non-governmental organization (NGO) working among slum children.

2. Arrest of Fr Dominic Pinto: A priest of Lucknow Catholic diocese was among seven people remanded to judicial custody on February 6, 2024 under

false allegation of conversion. The arrested included five Protestant pastors. Father Dominic Pinto is the director of Navintha, the pastoral center of Lucknow diocese, that was used by the Protestant pastors and around 100 Khrist Bhakts (followers of Christ) for their routine prayer meeting. The arrest took place after Hindutva goons protested in front of Navintha that comes under the Deva police station in Barabanki district in UP.

3. Threatening Posters in Assam: Following a call by a Hindutva group, Sanmilita Sanatan Samaj, to avoid all religious symbols and costumes in educational institutions in Assam, a number of top Christian institutions across the northeastern state have seen posters stuck on their premises, warning them against using their schools as religious institutions. The posters, printed by the group in Assamese, have said, “This is the final warning to stop using the school as a religious institution…stop anti-Bharat and unconstitutional activities or else…”.

These Christian institutions were asked to “remove” churches from within their school premises, along with all statues of Jesus and Mary. The posters also said, “Christian missionary educational institutions should stop ignoring the proposed New Education Policy and show respect to the Indian Parliament.”

4. Survey of Christians in MP: BJP government in Madhya Pradesh profiles the Christian population. The MP Police circulated the questionnaire among the Christian community seeking details of missionaries working in the state, the institutions run by them, and their funding sources. The police want details like the name and address of the individual missionary or institution, work objectives, bank account, and sources of foreign funding. They are also seeking names and phone numbers of those working with the missionary in case he/she runs a non-governmental organization. The questionnaire also sought to know whether Christians resort to religious conversion activities, which are banned under a stringent anti-conversion law passed by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in 2021. This is the second attempt on the part of the state’s police to undertake a discreet profiling of Christian missionaries in less than a year. They sought similar details in July 2023, but it was abandoned after the questionnaire was leaked to the media. The questionnaire had 15 major queries then, but this time their number has gone up to 30. Church officials in three dioceses – Jabalpur, Jhabua, and Gwalior – said they have “unofficially” received the questionnaire.

5. Chhattisgarh CM Against Christians : Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai alleged that Christian missionaries are carrying out conversions under the garb of  healthcare and education and warned that his government will stop it. The CM said Christian missionaries are “very active” in Chhattisgarh and are dominating health and education sectors, resulting in rise in religious conversions. He is a former student of Loyola School, Kunkuri, Chhattisgarh.

6. Saraswati Puja in Christian schools in Chhattisgarh : Schools run by missionaries in Chhattisgarh were asked to perform Saraswati Puja in Schools on Basant Panchami. Forcing minority institutions or anyone to perform a religious ritual is a violation of the fundamental right guaranteed to the citizens. Later, a few Schools in Chhattisgarh were issued notice by the educational department to explain the reason for not conducting the saraswati puja. They were also threated with the cancellation of registration. It is also a violation of the fundamental right. It is individual liberty to pray or not to pray.

7. Saraswati Puja in Tripura Missionary School: Don Bosco School, Gokulpur, Gomati, a missionary school in Tripura was asked to conduct Saraswati Puja on the school premises by a few Hindu radicals. The authorities had to approach the administration seeking protection from a group of people who identified themselves as members of the Hindu Jagran Manch and Sanatani Dharma and sought to conduct Saraswati Puja at the institution on February 14, 2024 “by hook or crook”. Sr Tessy Joseph, the principal of Don Bosco School in her two-page application to the Gomati district magistrate requested steps to “prevent such illegal act and to protect the institution, its property and its right guaranteed under the Constitution of India”.

8. Christians in Keonjhar’s Rangamatia Hatadihi Endure Socio- Economic Boycott

Twenty-three Christian families in the Rangamatia village of Hatadihi block, under Soso police station in Keonjhar district, Odisha, are reportedly facing a sustained socio-economic boycott for over a month. The affected families, comprising 105 individuals, allege that members of the Bajrang Dal are pressuring them to abandon their Christian faith, using threats of “dire consequences” to coerce compliance.

9. Train bullies target nun in Odisha: 18-hour cop ordeal after false charges by Bajrang Dal hecklers

In June 2025, a 29-year-old nun was forced off a train by suspected Bajrang Dal activists and detained for 18 hours at a police station in Odisha on charges of trafficking in women and illegal conversions that an investigation later proved false.

Sr Rachana Nayak was released after she proved that her six young companions — two men and four women — were all Christians by birth and were travelling for enrolment in training courses.

10. BJP MLA’s Call for Violence Against Christian Clergy

A few days ago, Gopichand Padalkar, a legislator belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party ruling Maharashtra state, put out a bounty on clergy. Gopichand Padalkar allegedly put a rate card for killings of different kinds of Christians, the highest amount being for priests.

11. Two Catholic nuns arrested after girls flee orphanage in Aurangabad

Two Catholic nuns from the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod congregation were arrested following the escape of nine underage girls from a Church-run orphanage in Maharashtra. The incident took place on 29 June at the Vidyadeep Children’s Home in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad), a government-recognised institution under the supervision of India’s Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The management of Vidyadeep Children’s Home, which is run by the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod and has served underprivileged children for over 100 years, has denied all the allegations. They maintain that the institution follows strict safety protocols, including CCTV monitoring, and believe the girls may have been influenced by an unidentified visitor the previous day. They are now out on bail.

12.  Catholic Priests and Laity Attacked by Hindutva Extremists in Jabalpur

In a disturbing incident, Catholic priests and laity were assaulted by a group of Hindutva extremists in Jabalpur in April 2025. According to eyewitnesses, a group of Catholic pilgrims from Mandla parish were on a pilgrimage to various Catholic churches in Jabalpur as part of Jubilee 2025. However, their journey was disrupted when they were stopped by the Bajrang Dal group and taken to the Omti police station. Although they were released, they were stopped again at another church and taken to the Ranchi police station. It was then that Father Davis, Vicar General of Jabalpur, and Father George T, diocesan procurator, rushed to the scene to provide support and assistance.However, upon arrival, they were met with violence and hostility. The extremists physically assaulted the priests, leaving them shaken. Despite being assaulted, the priests stayed composed, refusing to retaliate at any point. The police eventually intervened, freeing the priests and the pilgrims by 5 pm and escorting them back to Mandla.

Christian Responsibility

In an atmosphere of discrimination, hatred and violence against minorities, specially Christians in Indian society, the citizens of India have a great responsibility to safeguard the millennial heritage of India- unity in diversity, pluralism and fraternity, two core values enshrined in the preamble of the Indian Constitution.

The leaders of the Church, especially the CBCI and the CCBI, must take up these issues with the authorities concerned. By speaking truth to power, the CBCI / CCBI can help bring attention to these critical issues and advocate for the well-being of Christians.

In following Christ’s footsteps, the CBCI and CCBI must:

– Emphasize the importance of religious freedom, as enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

– Highlight the plight of persecuted Christians in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and other parts of the country.

– Promote dialogue and understanding between the government and Christian leaders.

They also must ask the government to do the following:

1. Conduct thorough and unbiased investigations into incidents targeting religious minorities, ensuring swift action against perpetrators.

2. Establish clear guidelines for state governments to safeguard constitutional rights to religious freedom, preventing violations and ensuring accountability.

3. Foster regular dialogue with representatives of diverse faith communities to promote understanding, trust, and cooperation.

4. Safeguard the fundamental right to freely profess and practice one’s faith, protecting citizens from persecution and ensuring equal treatment under the law.

Unfortunately, a section of Christians has been vocal in supporting the ruling regime and they get disturbed when someone highlights the violation of human rights or constitutional rights under Mr. Modi. They vociferously justify the ruling regime which is seen hand-in-glove with the fringe elements that attack the minorities. Discrimination, hatred, and violence are opposed to the teachings

of Jesus and the vision of Jesus. The followers of Jesus can never compromise with any ideology that promotes hatred and violence. If they support any party that promotes division, hatred and violence, they are betraying Jesus.

The world is watching, and India’s response to these attacks will determine its place in the global community. The Modi government must choose the path of tolerance, justice, and compassion, and ensure that India remains a nation where diversity is celebrated and all citizens live without fear of persecution.

 

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