By Matters Indian Reporter
KOLKATA, November 6, 2026: Christian leaders in West Bengal gathered for an emergency prayer assembly in Kolkata to address an escalation in targeted violence, reporting 48 incidents of attacks, vandalism, and harassment against churches and worship centers across the state over the past five months.
Hundreds of Christians marched through the West Bengal state capital Kolkata on November 5. Christians account for less than one percent of state’s population, according to national census figures.
These included Protestant Archbishop Joseph D’Souza, president of the All India Christian Council, Catholic Archbishop Elias Frank of Calcutta and regional bishops, community representatives stated that victims were prevented from filing formal police complaints in 32 of the 48 reported cases.
Organizers rejected allegations of forced conversions, characterizing them as a false narrative manufactured to justify attacks on peaceful prayer gatherings.
Leaders expressed growing apprehension ahead of the Christmas season, citing unheeded appeals to the state chief minister and a lack of administrative action against perpetrators.
In response to the crisis, a five-member delegation met with Jishnu Basu, state chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) state unit, to seek intervention. The meeting, facilitated by Bangiya Christian Parishad (BCP, Bengal Christian Council) member Charles Nandi, marked a rare dialogue between church leadership and the Hindu nationalist organization.
Delegation members reported that Basu condemned the violence, stating that attacks on churches cannot be justified, and pledged to raise the matter directly with the chief minister.
The two sides agreed to hold a special advisory meeting by the end of the month involving RSS leadership, denomination heads, and the BCP to address ongoing security concerns and review the operations of independent religious groups in the region.