Christian religious and community leaders are set to hold a major demonstration at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on 26 October to protest against what they describe as escalating violence targeting their community across India.
The Delhi NCR Christian Fellowship, which is organising the peaceful protest scheduled from 9 am to 1 pm, has highlighted disturbing statistics showing a marked increase in incidents against Christians, particularly in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to data compiled by the United Christian Forum (UCF), 733 violent incidents against Christians were recorded in 2023, averaging 61 incidents per month. The current year has already witnessed 585 incidents between January and September 2024, targeting Christians and others practising the Christian faith.
Notably, these figures exclude the situation in Manipur, where over 200 churches have reportedly been destroyed. The organisers note that multiple petitions to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Minority Commissions have failed to yield any meaningful response.
“India's constitutional rights are effectively undermined by a complex web of laws, said Dr. John Dayal, spokesperson for the United Christian Forum while speaking to Christian Today.
“Minorities protest when conditions become unbearable, but we see that their ability to do so is severely restricted by state control. More concerning is that traditional safeguards - parliament, judiciary, civil society, and media - have been systematically weakened, making even legitimate protests ineffective.” He added.
A recent report titled “Criminalising Practice of Faith” by the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has documented numerous cases alleging police complicity in offences against Christians. The report establishes a correlation between increased targeted violence and regions where anti-conversion laws have been implemented.
Community leaders express particular concern about law enforcement's handling of such cases. They claim that police often dismiss serious assaults as mere “land” or “family disputes” without proper investigation, especially when the attackers are religious activists. Despite legal provisions stating that only individuals directly affected by forcible conversion can file complaints, police have reportedly made arrests based on complaints from Hindutva groups claiming prior information.
The protest organisers have put forth several demands to the Indian government, including:
· Strict instructions to state and central police forces to adhere to the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita and Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Samhita
· Legislative action to repeal anti-conversion laws
· Activation of Human Rights Commissions and Minorities Commissions in all states and union territories
· Enhanced judicial pursuit of violent acts against religious and tribal minorities and Dalits
· Facilitation of dialogue between religious leaders and civil society
· Adequate compensation for victims of faith-based targeting
· Increased grants for Christian mission schools serving disadvantaged communities
· Implementation of recommendations to remove religion as a criterion for Scheduled Caste membership eligibility
The protest aims to highlight attacks on various members of the Christian community, including church leaders, pastors, nuns, school principals, teachers, doctors, and nurses. In one recent incident, four individuals were reportedly arrested for celebrating a child's birthday and distributing cake.
The Delhi NCR Christian Fellowship has urged both electronic and print media to provide comprehensive coverage of these incidents to raise public awareness about what they describe as “injustice meted to the most peace-loving community of the country.”
“The ongoing violence against Christians and other religious minorities stems from state-sanctioned religious discrimination, enabled by political complicity. The Christian community must urgently unite with other minorities to defend our constitutional rights and ensure our security as Indian citizens, while we still can. This protest expresses both our distress and our hope that institutions and fellow citizens will support our cause,” said Dayal.
