A wave of violence targeting Christmas celebrations has prompted over 400 Christian leaders and 30 church groups in India to issue a public appeal to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate government action to protect religious freedoms.
The appeal, released on Dec. 31, 2024, followed at least 14 reported incidents of attacks and disruptions during the Christmas season, according to a report by AsiaNews.
The signatories, which include evangelical bishops Thomas Abraham and David Onesimu, Methodist bishop Joab Lohara, Jesuits Fr. Cedric Prakash and Fr. Louis Prakash, and activists like John Dayal and Vijayesh Lal, decried what they called a “generalized climate that threatens religious freedom.”
They called for “quick and impartial investigations” into the incidents, which they say reflect a troubling rise in hostility toward Christians.
The incidents occurred in several states, underscoring the widespread nature of the issue. In Haryana’s Rohtak district, Hindutva groups disrupted Christmas gatherings on Dec. 25.
In Ambala, they stormed a celebration, shouting slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and reportedly “beating women and children,” accusing participants of “forced conversions.”
In Meghalaya, a radical Hindu influencer entered a church in the village of Mawlynnong on Dec. 26, shouted slogans from the altar, and posted the act on social media.
In Kerala’s Palakkad district, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) interrupted Christmas festivities at a government school, verbally threatening teachers.
In Orissa’s Balasore district, extremists attacked members of the New Life Church during a family celebration, subjecting them to verbal and physical abuse while accusing them of conversions.
Christian leaders have expressed concern over what they describe as an increasing climate of hostility. “The not yet definitive data for 2024 speak of over 720 incidents of violence against Christians reported to the Evangelical Fellowship of India and 760 cases registered by the United Christian Forum,” the appeal said.
The leaders also highlighted systemic issues contributing to the problem, including the misuse of anti-conversion laws, growing hate speech, and exclusionary policies that deny Dalit Christians their status as a disadvantaged minority.
The leaders urged the President and Prime Minister to ensure “prompt and impartial investigations into incidents targeting religious minorities,” issue “clear guidelines to state governments on protecting constitutional rights to religious freedom,” and engage in “regular dialogue with representatives of all religious communities” to safeguard the fundamental right to freely profess and practice faith.
The statement also emphasized the need for Prime Minister Modi to take a proactive role in resolving violence in Manipur, where more than 250 people have been killed, 360 churches destroyed, and thousands displaced since May 2023.
