By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi. Dec 14, 2023: At least two Christians are attacked in India on a daily basis, the United Christian Forum, an ecumenical group, reported December 14.
“It is a matter of fact that our country has been witnessing a sharp increase in targeted violence against Christians since 2014. The Open Doors of the World Watch ranks India the eleventh worst country for the persecution of Christians,” says a statement issued by the forum convener A C Michael.
The forum that set up a toll-free helpline service (1-800-208-4545) on January 19, 2015, has received until November this year reports of 687 incidents of violence against Christians from 23 states, which is little over two incidents a day.
The helpline received 147 incidents in 2014, 177 in 2015, 208 in 2016, 240 in 2017, 292 in 2018, 328 in 2019, 279 in 2020, 505 in 2021, 599 in 2022 and 687 between January and November this year.
“This is in spite of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees the right to choose any religion of one’s choice. In our country, today, we have the so called “Freedom of Religion Acts” which is popularly known as “anti-conversion laws” in 11 out of the 28 states.
The law stipulates that a person living in India should “seek permission from the government to follow a religion of his/her choice by filing written information to a revenue officer in contravention to UN convention,” the forum laments.
Among this year’s total, 531 incidents have taken place in four northern Indian states — Uttar Pradesh with 287 incidents, Chhattisgarh 148, Jharkhand 49 and Haryana 47.
At the same time Madhya Pradesh recorded 35 Incidents, 21 in Karnataka, 18 in Punjab, 14 in Bihar, 8 each in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir, 7 each in Rajasthan and Orissa, 6 each in Delhi and Maharashtra, 4 each in Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh, 2 in Assam, 1 each in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Chandigarh and Daman & Diu.
“In almost all incidents reported across India, vigilante mobs comprising religious extremists have been seen to either barge into a prayer gathering or round up individuals that they believe are involved in forcible religious conversions. With impunity, such mobs criminally threaten and/or physically assault people in prayer, before handing them over to the police on allegations of forcible conversions. Often communal sloganeering is witnessed outside police stations, where the police stand as mute spectators,” the forum statement laments.
In 2022, more than 1,000 Adivasi Christians were displaced in Chhattisgarh. This year, Manipur saw the worst ever violence wherein 175 died and over 1000 individuals severely injured. More than 5,000 cases of arson and 254 churches burnt and vandalised were reported from the northeastern Indian state.
“Despite widespread international condemnation of the impunity that attackers face, national and state governments have done little to ensure justice,” the forum says. It quoted a report published by People’s Union of Civil Liberties, titled Criminalizing Practice of Faith, documented that the police colluded with Hindu nationalist groups and turned a blind eye to offences committed against Christians.