The United Christian Forum (UCF) has released a report documenting incidents of violence against Christians in India between January and November 2024, based on complaints registered through its helpline. The UCF’s press release highlights a steady and sharp increase in such incidents year after year since 2014.
The organisation has called on the Modi government to establish a national-level inquiry led by a Government of India Secretary to investigate the persecution of the Christian minority in India. According to UCF helpline data, the reported incidents have risen dramatically over the years: 127 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 745 in 2024 (up till November).
The UCF emphasised that these numbers only reflect reported cases and do not account for unreported incidents or those outside its helpline’s scope. Notably, incidents from Manipur, where over 200 churches were demolished amid violence last year, have been excluded from the tally.
The UCF pointed out that when a minority group in Bangladesh faced violence, the Indian government sent a high-ranking official to engage with the Bangladeshi government. In contrast, such proactive measures are absent in addressing the plight of Christians within India.
A report by the PUCL further alleges that local police often collude with perpetrators of violence and overlook offenses against Christians. The systematic denial of constitutional rights to Christians, including their right to representation in Parliament and state legislative assemblies, was also highlighted. The Anglo-Indian community’s reserved representation has been denied, exacerbating this marginalisation.
Additionally, the release criticised the absence of Christian representation in key bodies like the National Commission for Minorities and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions for over five years. State-level minority commissions are similarly neglecting to include Christian members.
A.C. Michael of UCF pointed out that a petition calling for strict action against vigilante groups engaging in anti-Christian violence has been pending before the Supreme Court of India since 2022, with no progress after initial hearings. He also noted that politically motivated anti-conversion laws in 12 states, including recent amendments in Uttar Pradesh, may violate Article 25 of the Constitution, as observed by the Supreme Court.
“As Christmas approaches, we continue to pray for peace in our nation and hope the government will take decisive actions to restore harmony among all citizens,” Michael concluded.
