The United Christian Forum (UCF) reports that violence against Christians in India continues at a rate of two incidents per day in 2025, according to a press statement released on Monday.
This follows the organisation’s January report that had documented a rise in incidents throughout 2024, showing an increase from 733 cases in 2023.
The organisation has documented 120 incidents in the first two months of 2025, with 55 incidents recorded in January and 65 in February across 16 Indian states.
“It is now a well known fact that the Christians in India are facing two incidents of violence every day in India,” states the press release.
According to UCF data, violence has increased significantly since 2014. Their toll-free helpline (1-800-208-4545) recorded 127 incidents in 2014, 142 in 2015, 226 in 2016, 248 in 2017, 292 in 2018, 328 in 2019, 279 in 2020, 505 in 2021, 601 in 2022, 734 in 2023, and 834 in 2024.
The statement identifies Uttar Pradesh (21 incidents) and Chhattisgarh (20 incidents) as the states with the highest number of reported incidents in 2025. Karnataka follows with 14 incidents and Rajasthan with 10.
In its January report covering 2024, UCF had similarly identified Uttar Pradesh (191 incidents) and Chhattisgarh (158 incidents) as the states with the highest number of reported cases.
Other states mentioned in the press release include Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh (8 incidents each), Andhra Pradesh and Bihar (6 each), Haryana, Punjab, and West Bengal (5 each), Maharashtra (4), Himachal Pradesh (3), Odisha and Uttarakhand (2 each), and Tamil Nadu (1).
For February 2025 specifically, the UCF reports 65 incidents of mob threats and 19 incidents of physical assault. The statement notes that two church properties were attacked by mobs, and authorities denied permission to hold religious assemblies to 26 Christian organisations. Victims included 15 women, 11 Dalits, and 20 Tribals.
The UCF established its toll-free helpline on 19th January 2015 “with the aim of upholding fundamental freedom and promotion of values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity of India,” according to the statement. The helpline assists “people in distress, especially those who are not aware of the law of the land and the system by guiding them how to reach out to the public authorities and by providing the way to legal remedies.”
Background: UCF’s January Report
Earlier this year, the UCF had reported that accusations of forced religious conversions were the primary trigger behind many of the incidents in 2024. Their January report noted an average of over 67 incidents per month last year, prompting the organisation to seek intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
That report also highlighted cases involving women and children as targets of violence. In one December 2024 incident, two tribal Christian women in Odisha were reportedly tied to a tree and beaten by Bajrang Dal members.
The UCF had made several recommendations to the government, including training for police and judiciary on human rights and religious freedom, and providing adequate compensation and legal assistance for victims.
