The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India on December 23 urged the central and state governments to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of Christians, saying several incidents targeting the community had been reported from different parts of the country ahead of Christmas.
In a statement, the bishops said they were deeply anguished by what they described as a sharp rise in attacks on Christians during the Christmas season. They said incidents involving carol singers and prayer gatherings in churches were especially worrying and went against India’s constitutional promise of religious freedom and the right to worship without fear.
The bishops called on both the state governments and the central government to take urgent and visible action against individuals and groups spreading hatred and violence. They also appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure strict enforcement of the law and proactive protection for Christian communities so that Christmas could be celebrated peacefully across the country.
The bishops said they were particularly shocked by a viral video from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh that showed a visually challenged woman attending a Christmas programme being publicly abused and physically harassed. The woman was allegedly targeted by Anju Bhargava, identified as the city vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Calling the incident dehumanising, the bishops demanded that Bhargava be immediately removed from the party.
They also expressed concern over digital posters circulating in Chhattisgarh calling for a bandh on December 24 against Christians. The bishops warned that such calls could increase tensions and lead to more violence.
On the same day, the United Christian Forum, a New Delhi-based ecumenical body, also appealed to Home Minister Amit Shah to cancel the proposed Chhattisgarh bandh. The forum said it had recorded 834 incidents of violence against Christians in 2024, averaging nearly 70 incidents every month, which it said showed a disturbing pattern of religious persecution. It added that 706 such incidents were recorded till November this year.
The forum said most of the attacks were based on false allegations of forced or fraudulent religious conversions. It referred to a report by the People’s Union of Civil Liberties, which alleged that police often acted in collusion with Hindutva groups targeting Christians. According to the forum, mobs frequently disrupted prayer meetings and threatened participants, while police cases were filed under sections 295A and 298 of the Indian Penal Code.
Several similar incidents were reported across India in December. On December 22, police in Kerala arrested several Hindu activists for allegedly attacking a Christmas carol group in Pudussery Kasaba village near Palakkad. A day earlier, a video went viral showing a Hindu leader harassing a pastor and his wife in Ghaziabad, near the Delhi Uttar Pradesh border. Another video from Odisha showed a group of men objecting to roadside vendors selling Santa hats, claiming India is a Hindu nation.
On December 21, right-wing Hindu groups also disrupted Sunday Mass at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bichhiwara village in the Dungarpur district, adding to concerns over the safety of Christian worshippers during the festive season.
