India: Christian Group Calls For Government Inquiry Into Unprecedented Level of Persecution Against Believers
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The United Christian Forum (UCF) has called on India’s Hindu nationalist-led government to open a national inquiry into the exponential surge in incidents of violence against Christians in the country, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Addressing what has been described as a “dramatic” rise in the persecution of Christians by radical Hindus, A. C. Michael, UCF national coordinator and former member of the Delhi Minorities Commission, on December 20 called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appoint a secretary-level official to lead an inquiry into the matter.
Not taking into account the sectarian violence that has engulfed Manipur since May 2023, the UCF documented a record 745 incidents of persecution against believers by the end of November 2024. The figure represents a steep increase from the 127 incidents recorded by the UCF in 2014.
“Many other incidents may have occurred that were not reported through our hotline and, therefore, are not included in the total number,” the UCF said in a statement. “Last year, the tragic violence, bloodshed, and the demolition of over 200 churches in Manipur were also not reflected in the UCF figures,” UCF stated.
In a 2024 website statement about the situation facing Christians in India, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization reports: “Christians around the nation of India find themselves increasingly under threat. This hostility is often driven by an ongoing belief among some Hindu extremists that Indians ought to be Hindu—and any faith outside of Hinduism is not welcome in India. This mindset has led to violent attacks across the country and impunity for the people who perpetrate this violence, especially in places where the authorities are also Hindu hardliners.”
Led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted; prior to the rise of the BJP 10 years ago, India had ranked 31 on the WWL.
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