By Jahnavi Sen
New Delhi: Civil society groups have once again raised the alarm about rising incidents of violence against Christians in India. New data released by the United Christian Forum (UCF) states that 2024 witnessed 834 such incidents, up 100 incidents from 734 in 2023.
“The alarming frequency of attacks translates to more than two Christians being targeted every day in India simply for practising their faith,” UCF said in a press statement on January 10.
These incidents take on a number of forms: attacks on churches or prayers meetings, harassment of those following their faith, ostracisation and limiting access to community resources, and false allegations and criminal cases, particularly those pertaining to ‘forced conversions’. The institution of controversial, stringent anti-conversion laws in several Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states has also served as a weapon in the hands of Hindutva activists and the state to act against minority groups.
As The Wire has previously reported, there has been a sharp increase in the number of such incidents since 2014, when the BJP under Narendra Modi first formed the Union government.
The highest number of incidents in 2024 were reported from Uttar Pradesh (209), followed by Chhattisgarh (165). In many of these cases, rights activists have pointed out, no First Information Report is filed – sometimes despite there being a police complaint on the matter. In other situations, victims are afraid to approach the police because they believe that the police will try to turn the matter around, and side with the perpetrators while filing false charges against the victims.
“Most of the time, FIRs are filed against the victims of violence, while the perpetrators are allowed to go scot-free,” A.C. Michael, national convenor of the UCF, had told The Wire in 2023. “Otherwise the police usually tries to pacify the victims, saying if you file a case then they [the attackers] may become more aggressive, and then your life will be more dangerous.”
Marginalised groups are more likely to be the target of these attacks, UCF has found. Of the 73 incidents the group recorded in December 2024, in 25 cases the victims were from Scheduled Tribes and in 14 they were Dalits. Women were victimised in nine of these incidents.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.