Rising violence against Christians in India: A troubling trend

 

Rising Cruelty Against Christians in India by the Hindutva extremists!

In recent years, India has witnessed a disturbing surge in violence against Christians, with the most alarming incidents reported from BJP-ruled northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Orissa. Churches have been attacked, prayer meetings disrupted, and Catholic Priests, Nuns and Christian Pastors and believers falsely accused of “forced conversions” under draconian anti-conversion laws.

Rights groups and independent reports highlight that these acts are often carried out by extremist hindutva groups emboldened by political patronage and a climate of impunity. Victims, instead of receiving protection, frequently face harassment from police and other authorities. This growing hostility not only violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion but also undermines India’s democratic and pluralistic traditions.

Though small in number, the contribution of the Christian community to the all-round development of the country is immense—particularly in the social, educational, and medical fields. The fanatics in the northern states may not be aware (as they are mostly illitrate) that the Christians have always exhibited patriotism and deep love for the nation. Many regressive practices such as untouchability, sati, caste discrimination, human sacrifices, and even the denial of the right to wear clothes by the backward castes were challenged and abolished largely due to the influence and intervention of Christian missionaries. Many Indian languages owe their written scripts to missionaries—often foreign missionaries—who worked tirelessly to promote literacy and education.

The Bishop of the Shamshabad Catholic Diocese, Mar Prince Anthony Panengadan, recently released an open letter to the Indian authorities titled “We are Indians, We are Christians”—a heartfelt reminder of the community’s rightful place in the nation on the eve of the 78th Independence Day Celebrations. 

That circular is being attached herewith.

As ardent Christians born and brought up in India, we solemnly and boldly affirm:

“We are proud Indians, and we are proudest and most fortunate Christians.”

Here is the PDF post of Bishop Mar Prince Antony:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GBg-eMik3vwAHWR9m7Gbq1882lMWy68J/view?usp=sharing

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