Leaders urge Indias Modi to curb spiral of violence against Christians

Bangalore, India, January 7, 2025 / 12:30 p.m.

In an appeal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 400 Christian and civic leaders as well as 30 religious groups called for immediate and decisive action to curb the rise in violence against Christians, particularly during prayers and celebrations of Christmas.

We cry out to you from the depths of our hearts when we are attacked in villages and towns in several states on Christmas Day, Christian leaders of various faiths lamented in their joint appeal, also sent to Federal President Droupadi Murmu, the December 31. .

This Christmas period alone, at least 14 incidents targeting Christians have been reported, ranging from threats and disruptions to arrests and outright attacks, highlighting an alarming trend of rising intolerance and hostility , says the appeal signed by dozens of prominent Catholic priests, lay leaders, and advocacy groups.

Recent incidents of violence and hostility have included Hindu groups shouting before Christmas services outside a Catholic cathedral in Lucknow, as well as antagonists forcing staff to remove Christmas decorations from a state prep school. West Gujarat.

Christmas carolers were also arrested and teachers threatened in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, while a food delivery man was stripped of his Santa dress in the city of Bangalore.

The appeal noted that these incidents occurred just two days after [Modi] in his speech to our Catholic prelates, he condemned those who incite violence and propagate discord that cause disruption in society.

Participating in the Christmas celebration of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) in New Delhi, Modi on December 23 said the teachings of Lord Christ celebrated love, harmony and brotherhood. It is important that we all work to strengthen this spirit.

However, it hurts my heart when there are attempts to spread violence and cause disruption in society. It is essential that we come together to tackle such challenges, Modi had said then.

John Dayal, an outspoken Catholic columnist among the appeal's signatories, claimed in a January 3 interview with CNA that Modi displayed hypocrisy in his speech.

After expressing pain over the incidents of violence, Modi did not mention any incident out of the two daily cases of targeted hate violence in 2024 in the country. Instead, he cited the bloody attack on the Christmas market in Germany as an example. This is duplicity and is what emboldens the warring Hindu fundamentalists, Dayal said.

The Ecumenical United Christian Forum (UCF), which monitors anti-Christian incidents, reported in December that the number of violent acts for all of 2024 had reached 745 by the end of November.

In reality, the numbers will be much higher. Many other incidents that may have occurred but were not reported to our hotline are not included in the total number, AC Michael, UCF's Catholic coordinator, told CNA.

The Modi government recently sent a special government envoy to Bangladesh over recent atrocities against Hindus, but the UCF urged the Modi government to consider launching a national-level investigation led by an Indian government secretary into examine these incidents of persecution of the Christian minority within Bangladesh. India.

Christians have urged the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government to issue clear directives to state governments on protecting constitutional rights to religious freedom, engage in regular dialogue with representatives of all religious communities and protect the right fundamental to freely profess and practice one's faith.

Inclusion and harmony are vital not only for the moral fabric of the nation but also for its economic and social prosperity, they said in the appeal.