Christian Persecution in India | Global Christian Relief

Christian Persecution In

Countries >

INDIA

Country:

INDIA

What does Christian persecution in India look like?

“Every day we have four or five attacks on churches and pastors, and every Sunday it doubles to roughly 10 – this we have never seen before,” said a persecuted Christian leader of a major denomination in 2023. The main source of Christian persecution in India is the Sangh Parivar, a consortium of Hindu extremist organizations that include the influential paramilitary and strategic group known as the RSS (National Volunteer Association); the BJP, the main political party; and the Bajrang Dal, a violent youth wing.

 

All serve a fascist ideology called Hindutva, which seeks to make India a pure Hindu nation. The parliamentary party, the BJP, first took power in the late 1990’s. Violence against Christians, especially in the state of Gujarat, quickly followed. The party lost elections in 2003, but returned to power in 2014 under Narendra Modi, the first prime minister to come from the ranks of the paramilitary RSS. Modi added an anti-Muslim, anti-Christian populism element to Hindu extremism and increased the BJP majority in elections in 2019. Christians have suffered in two main ways.

 

One way is that they experience targeted violence to displace them from certain areas. Hindu extremists are brilliant at organizing mob violence. In 2023 alone, violence against the mostly Christian Kuki tribe in the northeastern state of Manipur left hundreds dead and more than 200 churches razed to the ground. The other tactic, however, is more subtle, with extremists taking over the key institutions of the judiciary, education and media.

 

As a Christian leader said, “These institutions have been hollowed out from the inside, so they have become instruments of extremism rather than protectors and promoters of truth … If Christians are beaten, the government is careful to do nothing to bring the perpetrators to justice but weaves a narrative that always blames Christians.”

 

Another tactic of Christian persecution in India is to starve faith-based organizations of the ability to receive funds from abroad, with more than 19,000 charities having lost this privilege by 2020. In a mere 20 years, the Christian (and Muslim) minorities in India have been made to feel like they no longer belong in a land where they have resided for centuries.

 

Today, many Indian Christians report growing hostility at both the community and institutional levels. While Christianity in India remains legal and constitutionally protected, local pressures, social discrimination, and targeted violence have increased in many regions. The persecution of Christians in India often includes attacks on churches, intimidation of pastors, false accusations of forced conversion, and disruptions of worship services.

Leadership:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Government:
Federal parliamentary republic
Population
1.4B
Christian pop.
32M

“The Prime Minister, Mr. Modi, may be a favorite of the Western powers, but he has normalized hatred in a country that used to be much more tolerant of religious difference. It was only in 2005 that we lived in a secular democratic state; now, sadly, we live in an authoritarian vigilante state. It happened so fast, we were not ready. Pray we wake up before it is too late.”

—Persecuted Christian leader of one of the largest denominations

History of Christianity in India

Christianity’s roots are ancient and, for some, apostolic. Tradition insists that the first Christian in India was the apostle Thomas, and he was martyred. The ancient church he founded is still going in India today, known as St Thomas Christians, and even preserves ancient liturgies in Syriac and Chaldean. But they were largely high caste, and either unable or unwilling to evangelize lower castes.


Roman Catholicism established itself with the arrival of the Portuguese in South India in the 1500’s and still gives southern states like Kerala a Christian character. Protestant missionaries arrived in the early 1800s. India’s Christian churches were notable for their ability to found schools and hospitals. One source recently said that 60% of all schools and 70% of hospitals traced their founding to Christian churches.


Christianity has prospered with its strong appeal to bring dignity to the lower castes, and many so-called “Dalits” – otherwise known as “untouchables” by traditional Hindus – have found refuge in a faith that refuses to regard them as inferior. Observers believe up to 60% of India’s Christians come from these lower castes.


The Christian population in India remains one of the largest in Asia. Despite being a minority, Christians have made significant contributions to education, healthcare, and social development throughout the country.


Are Christians Persecuted in India?


When asked "Are Christians persecuted in India?" many observers point to rising incidents of violence, harassment, and legal pressure in several states. While experiences vary widely across India, reports from Christian leaders and advocacy groups indicate that persecution of Christians has become a growing concern in parts of the country.


One of the most controversial issues involves religious conversion. Several states have enacted anti-conversion laws that are intended to prevent forced or fraudulent conversions. However, Christian organizations argue that these laws are frequently used against pastors, church members, and believers, even when no coercion occurred. Allegations of unlawful religious conversion can lead to arrests, investigations, and social hostility.


The impact of Christian persecution in India often is felt most strongly among rural believers, tribal communities, and lower-caste Christians who may have fewer legal and social protections.

History of Christianity in India

What does Christian persecution in India look like?

“Every day we have four or five attacks on churches and pastors, and every Sunday it doubles to roughly 10 – this we have never seen before,” said a persecuted Christian leader of a major denomination in 2023. The main source of Christian persecution in India is the Sangh Parivar, a consortium of Hindu extremist organizations that include the influential paramilitary and strategic group known as the RSS (National Volunteer Association); the BJP, the main political party; and the Bajrang Dal, a violent youth wing.

 

All serve a fascist ideology called Hindutva, which seeks to make India a pure Hindu nation. The parliamentary party, the BJP, first took power in the late 1990’s. Violence against Christians, especially in the state of Gujarat, quickly followed. The party lost elections in 2003, but returned to power in 2014 under Narendra Modi, the first prime minister to come from the ranks of the paramilitary RSS. Modi added an anti-Muslim, anti-Christian populism element to Hindu extremism and increased the BJP majority in elections in 2019. Christians have suffered in two main ways.

 

One way is that they experience targeted violence to displace them from certain areas. Hindu extremists are brilliant at organizing mob violence. In 2023 alone, violence against the mostly Christian Kuki tribe in the northeastern state of Manipur left hundreds dead and more than 200 churches razed to the ground. The other tactic, however, is more subtle, with extremists taking over the key institutions of the judiciary, education and media.

 

As a Christian leader said, “These institutions have been hollowed out from the inside, so they have become instruments of extremism rather than protectors and promoters of truth … If Christians are beaten, the government is careful to do nothing to bring the perpetrators to justice but weaves a narrative that always blames Christians.”

 

Another tactic of Christian persecution in India is to starve faith-based organizations of the ability to receive funds from abroad, with more than 19,000 charities having lost this privilege by 2020. In a mere 20 years, the Christian (and Muslim) minorities in India have been made to feel like they no longer belong in a land where they have resided for centuries.

 

Today, many Indian Christians report growing hostility at both the community and institutional levels. While Christianity in India remains legal and constitutionally protected, local pressures, social discrimination, and targeted violence have increased in many regions. The persecution of Christians in India often includes attacks on churches, intimidation of pastors, false accusations of forced conversion, and disruptions of worship services.