Mission
anti-Christian attacks have increased by more than 500% in ten years. Photo: Getty Images
Indian Christian leaders explain that violence against Christians has intensified since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.
(ZENIT News – OMPRESS / New Delhi, 11. 12. 2025) – The United Christian Forum published a Report on November 4 in New Delhi stating that anti-Christian attacks have increased by more than 500% in ten years. The number of cases rose from 139 in 2014 to 834 in 2024, totalling 4,595 cases in a decade. Nearly 77% of the cases occurred in just five states: Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. Approximately 2.3% of India’s 1.4 billion inhabitants are Christian.
As reported by the Catholic News Agency UCANews, Christian leaders in India expressed profound concern over new figures published by the United Christian Forum, an ecumenical organization founded in 2014 to defend the rights of Christians and other religious minorities. «Between 2014 and 2024, violent attacks against Christians increased dramatically, from 139 to 834, an unprecedented 500% increase,» commented A.C. Michael, the organization’s National Coordinator, which has documented 4,595 cases in the last decade. These attacks affected «individuals, families, communities, and institutions across the country,» he added. According to Michael, between January and September 2025 alone, 549 cases were reported nationwide, of which only 39 resulted in police investigations, meaning that 93% of the cases will go unpunished.
Indian Christian leaders explain that violence against Christians has intensified since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. Twelve of India’s 28 states, most of them governed by the BJP, have passed anti-conversion laws, which are manipulated to harass Christians and justify false police reports. For example, the Anti-Conversion Law passed in 2017 in the state of Jharkhand punishes forced conversions with a fine of 50,000 rupees (582 euros) and sentences of up to three years in prison. According to the Law, if a person wishes to convert, they must inform the authorities in their district and specify the reasons and location of the conversion; otherwise, they will be prosecuted. More severe penalties are also foreseen for the conversions of minors, women, members of indigenous minorities, or lower castes. Hindu nationalists often accuse Christians of «stealthy tactics» to achieve their ends and regularly organize raids on villages to conduct «reconversion» ceremonies. In 2021, Christians in the state of Madhya Pradesh, in the center of the vast country, asked the President of India to protect them from threats by fundamentalists to demolish their churches.
Christian groups are planning a demonstration on November 29 in New Delhi, to protest what has become a relentless persecution. The march also aims to highlight the exclusion of Dalit Christians — the lowest caste in India’s caste system, who are denied access to government aid programs — , and the growing threat to the rights of indigenous Christians. Participants are expected from across India, particularly from the five states that account for nearly 77% of reported cases. Uttar Pradesh heads the list with 1,317 cases, followed by Chhattisgarh (926), Tamil Nadu (322), Karnataka (321), and Madhya Pradesh (319).
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