Erosion of minority rights and rise of social engineering

By Gisel Erumachadathu

Guwahati, Aug 8, 2025: When violence remains an abstract headline, we may scroll past with momentary sorrow. But when it finds its way into the lives of those we know – those who stood beside us in prayer, laughter, or shared meals – the silence becomes unbearable.

Just days ago, another heartbreak arrived. The Catholic priest attacked in Jaleswar, Odisha, is someone I know personally, someone who has spent years spearheading the social activities of Balasore diocese, walking alongside the marginalized in dignity and quiet hope.

As if that were not enough, the cancellation of the Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture struck another raw nerve. I work in a Jesuit institution. I have lived and breathed its spirit – of critical conscience, solidarity with the poor, and fearless compassion.

Stan Swamy was not just a martyr to justice; he was a mirror to our collective conscience. Silencing his memory is an attempt to erase a vision of India that is rooted in human dignity and care for the most forgotten.

When hate strikes home, writing becomes a form of resistance. It becomes a promise to stand with those who have been silenced. The India I love – the India of diversity, dignity, and decency – is under threat. I hope that truth can still shake us awake.

In a democratic republic like India, the right to religious freedom and the protection of minority communities are not only constitutional guarantees but the bedrock of its pluralistic identity. However, the first eight months of 2025 have revealed a worrying pattern of events that reflect growing hostility, discrimination, and systemic targeting of religious minorities – especially Christians and Muslims.

These are not isolated incidents, but components of a disturbing trend of social engineering, political polarization, and institutional apathy. This article seeks to provide an extensive overview of these patterns, evaluated through humanitarian, democratic, and human rights lenses.

Chronology of alarming incidents (January–August 2025)

1. January 2025 – Assam: Reports emerged of the forced shutdown of several madrassas by local authorities citing “irregularities,” with little regard for legal process or the students’ education. The targeting was seen by many as selective and part of a broader pattern of Islamophobic policy-making.

2. January 2025 – Assam: St. Teresa’s parish chapel, Ambagaon (Udalguri, Assam), was burnt down under suspicious circumstances shortly after ordination of two local priests—raising concerns of a hate attack.

3. February 2025 – Manipur: Amid ongoing ethnic violence, several churches in hill districts were vandalized and torched. Relief efforts by Christian groups were blocked or discredited as “foreign-funded conversions.” Humanitarian corridors were denied.

4. March 2025 – Chhattisgarh: Two Catholic nuns were arrested while attending a village community event. Despite lack of evidence, they were accused of “forced conversion,” triggering fears of a clampdown on women religious.

5. April 2025 – Delhi: The Ministry of Education revised NCERT history textbooks to remove references to secularism, and diluted chapters on communal harmony and Gandhi’s assassination, prompting wide criticism from scholars and rights groups.

6. May 2025 – Assam and Meghalaya: In both states, prayer gatherings of minority groups were disrupted by local Hindutva vigilantes who accused them of illegal proselytization. Police reportedly took no action against the aggressors.

7. June 2025 – Uttar Pradesh: Muslim meat sellers were assaulted by cow protection groups, even in legally permissible zones. Dalit and tribal Christians also reported being denied burial land in mixed-community villages.

8. July 2025 – Tamil Nadu: A Christian-run school was falsely accused of anti-national activity and underwent aggressive raids and surveillance. Later, police admitted there was no credible evidence.

9. Jul 2025 – Chhattisgarh, two Kerala nuns (Srs. Preeti Mary & Vandana Francis) are arrested at Durg station on charges of human trafficking and conversion—triggering widespread backlash

10. July 2025 – A massive eviction drive in Assam demolishes over 3,400 homes of Bengali-speaking Muslims ahead of state elections—drawing criticism for targeting lawful residents.

11. August, 2025 In Belagavi (Karnataka), a poisoning incident targeting a minority headmaster (and affecting 11 students) is deemed an act of religious hatred; arrests include Sri Rama Sene members.

12. August 6, 2025 – Jaleswar, Odisha: A group of Catholic priests, nuns, and catechists were brutally attacked by Bajrang Dal members while conducting a pastoral visit. Vehicles were vandalized, women religious were harassed, and the priest—whom I personally know—was assaulted. Authorities delayed action.

13. August 7, 2025 – Mumbai: St. Xavier’s College cancelled the Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture under pressure from the ABVP, a student wing of the ruling party. This silencing reflects growing intolerance even in bastions of academic freedom.

Humanitarian and democratic crisis

These incidents are not random; they are symptoms of a broader erosion of constitutional values. From the denial of legal recourse to mob justice, the machinery of democracy appears to be systematically failing its most vulnerable.

This campaign of fear is being masked as nationalism, and dissent or compassion is labelled as anti-national. The right to education, faith, burial, and association are not only being challenged but criminalized.

The minorities of India, particularly Christians and Muslims, are finding themselves trapped between state apathy and majoritarian hostility. Humanitarian workers, religious educators, and peace activists are being discredited or attacked. Legal redress is often inaccessible or delayed. The poor and tribal populations, who depend most on these community services, are being further alienated.

Social engineering and the politics of hate

Social engineering is now being orchestrated not only by fringe elements but by official policy and state-backed discourse. The erasure of history, weaponization of education, and active dismantling of interfaith harmony point toward a systematic rewriting of India’s social fabric.

This is not just about minority communities. The long-term consequence of such engineering is the weakening of India’s moral center. It affects every Indian who believes in equality, justice, and peace.

On brainwashing and the inner strength of minorities

While minorities face hostility from outside, they must also be alert to threats from within. There is a rising tide of ideological manipulation, efforts to turn communities inward, to pit sects against one another, and to sow doubt and fear through misinformation. It is crucial that minority groups resist becoming echo chambers of victimhood or instruments of political puppetry.

Communities must reclaim their narrative, not as passive victims, but as resilient contributors to the nation. They must nurture critical thinking, community solidarity, and a culture of discernment that can distinguish genuine threats from manufactured ones.

Minority institutions must invest in civic education, democratic values, and social awareness. The youth must be empowered to stand as bridge-builders, peace-makers, and truth-tellers—not fodder for divisive agendas. The strength of a minority lies not only in its numbers, but in its moral clarity, compassion, and commitment to justice.

The role of civil society and the path forward

In these dark times, the role of civil society, faith institutions, and democratic thinkers becomes crucial. We must build coalitions of conscience, across religions, castes, and ideologies. We must support brave journalists, stand with the silenced, and document every violation.

India’s pluralism cannot survive in silence. It requires speech, protest, presence, and love. We need to raise our voices not only for our friends, but for the idea of India itself.

Conclusion

History will ask where we stood when our neighbours were attacked for their faith, when classrooms were censored, and when silence replaced truth. Let us not answer with regret.

This article is my small refusal to be silent. It is a call to conscience. And it is written in memory of those who have suffered, and in faith that a more just India is still possible.

(Gisel Erumachadathu is a member of the Ancillae Secular Institute. She is currently the Head of Programmes at NEILAC (North Eastern Institute of Language and Culture), a research institute dedicated to the preservation and promotion of endangered languages in North East India.)