Christians in Nepal have been advised to be on alert this Christmas season following a few months of anti-Christian incidents in the Himalayan nation, Christian leaders say. “There is a sense of fear and insecurity rippling through the Christian community amid Christmas celebrations. We feel exposed to hostility for being Christian,” said Father Lalit Tudu, parish priest of Assumption Cathedral in the capital Kathmandu. “The right to practice our faith peacefully is threatened to some extent,” said the priest of the largest church in the country. Tudu said 12 parishes covered by the Vicariate Apostolic of Nepal in the Hindu-dominated nation are asked to take extra security measures during the Christmas season. “Local administrations and security agencies are supportive of providing extra security to organize” Christmas services, he added. Those attending services are asked not to bring any bags or packets as part of the security measures to avoid the possibility of sneaking in explosives. The cathedral has also installed security cameras on its premises. Christians have faced some violent incidents since August after a video went viral on social media, claiming to show members of an indigenous community eating beef in a village near Dharan town in eastern Nepal. Hindus form 80 percent of the some 24 million

Even though Christians make up less than 3 per cent of the population, Christmas in India is a significant event.” Churches hold services, Christmas carols are sung, and Christmas decorations adorn houses, streets, and marketplaces. However, most people overlook the fact that Indian Christians celebrate Christmas amid increasing hatred and hostility. Increased Hostility During Christmas Christmas is a time of increasing hatred and hostility for Indian Christians. The sequence of events around 2022 lends credence to such perceived fears. Ahead of Christmas, hundreds of Christian tribal people were displaced from their native villages in Chhattisgarh. This was not an isolated incident. Christian communities are regularly attacked during and after Christmas. One may recall, that a dispute over Christmas celebrations sparked the first wave of violence in Kandhamal district in 2007.” As we all know, the Indian Church is a ‘suffering Church’. Indian-Christian communities are akin to a tree cut down, their future uncertain, and their strength seemingly diminished. Is it possible for Indian Christians to remain hopeful in the face of hatred and hostility? The Anticipation Of Hope Advent is marked by the anticipation of hope.  In Isaiah 11:1, we find imagery of hope and renewal that speaks to situations of despair. It speaks powerfully into the Advent

Disturbing data released by the United Christian Forum (UCF) reveals a concerning rise in targeted violence against Christians in India, with 687 incidents reported in the first 334 days of 2023 alone. This unsettling trend continues a worrying pattern since 2014, solidifying India's position as the eleventh worst country globally for the persecution of Christians, according to the Open Doors World Watch annual ranking. Despite constitutional guarantees under Article 25, which affirms the right to choose any religion, India has seen an escalation in violence against Christians. The UCF, which operates a toll-free helpline (1-800-208-4545), reported 147 incidents in 2014, escalating to 687 by November 2023. Disturbingly, "Freedom of Religion Acts," colloquially referred to as "anti-conversion laws," exist in 11 out of 28 states, requiring individuals to seek government permission to follow a religion of their choice—a measure contrary to UN conventions. The UCF's data for January to November 2023 shows a troubling pattern, with an average of over two incidents per day across 23 states. The epicentre of this violence is concentrated in four North Indian states: Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Haryana, where 531 out of 687 incidents were reported. Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 287 incidents. The UCF release states

Ranchi (AsiaNews) – A Christian man was lynched last week after he was accused of molesting a girl with learning disabilities. “I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of David Minz,” said Archbishop Felix Toppo of Ranchi, the capital of the State of Jharkhand. The 35-year-old Catholic was a singer who performed in the Nagpuri language and was known on social media thanks to his performances. According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), the attack took place on 14 December in Tatkundo, a village about 30 km from Ranchi district, a police officer said. The girl's family had gone to work and when they came home in the evening, they did not find her. When they went to look for her in the village, someone told them she had been seen with David Minz. At that point, a manhunt began. When he was found, Minz was brutally beaten and later pronounced dead by doctors at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science. Upon hearing of the incident, Mandar police took immediate action, arresting family members – Somra Oraon, Jeetpahan Oraon and Sonu Oraon – on suspicion of murder, following a complaint from Minz's wife, police said. All three were remanded in custody until

Thousands of Christians paid their last respects to 87 indigenous Christians during a mass funeral on Dec. 20, eight months after sectarian violence rocked India’s hilly state of Manipur. The victims from the Kuki and Zomi communities were buried in separate places in Churachandpur district, where the strife started on May 3, claiming 200 lives. “We buried 87 people in two different places in two sessions,” Barnabas Simte, district president of the All-Manipur Catholic Union, told UCA News on Dec. 20. “The bodies included those airlifted from capital Imphal and those kept in the district hospital,” Simte added. The government airlifted 60 bodies of indigenous Kukis from Imphal on Dec. 14 as the authorities feared transporting them by road could fuel fresh tension. Their burial was sanctioned on Nov. 28 by the Supreme Court, India’s top court. According to government records, 175 bodies mostly of indigenous people were preserved in mortuaries. The top court ordered the government to hand over the bodies to their relatives and dispose of the unidentified bodies. On Dec. 18, the district administration imposed prohibitory orders in Churachandpur following fresh clashes ahead of the mass burial, hurting several people. The prohibitory orders “will be in place until February 18, 2024.” This, however, did not have any impact on

Delhi: A coalition representing several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working for tribal welfare in Tripura has strongly condemned the proposed rally by Janajati Suraksha Mancha (JSM) on Christmas. The rally aims to revoke the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of tribal individuals who have converted to Christianity. The Joint Action Committee of Civil Societies (JACCS), an assembly comprising several groups, staunchly opposed the JSM rally scheduled for December 25, coinciding with Christmas, asserting that the rally's agenda directly contradicts the state's secular principles, the EastMojo reported. In a press release issued by JACCS, the committee clarified its non-partisan and secular stance. The committee, established in 2011, collaborates with NGOs and student organisations to advocate for the welfare of indigenous populations. The coalition comprises prominent bodies such as the Twipra Students Federation (TSF), United Tiprasa Forum (UTF), Tripuri Doctors Welfare Society (TDWS), Tipra Engineers’ Society, Tripura (TEST), Tripura Indigenous Lawyers Association (TILA), Borok People Human Rights Organisation (BPHRO), and Pantwi Sporting Society (PSS). Earlier, the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch had condemned JSM's campaigns to delist the Christian tribals and the December 25 rally. “The indigenous people of Tripura have believed in Hinduism, Christianity and Animism for a long time but still live peacefully together without any clash among them on the religious ground.

Three people have been arrested in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand in connection with the lynching of a Catholic man, according to police. David Minz, a 35-year-old tribal Catholic was beaten to death on Dec. 14 for allegedly molesting a girl with learning difficulties in Ranchi district. Three people were arrested on Dec. 16, police said. “The Jharkhand government in 2021 passed a law to check mob lynching but still we hear about it,” Ratan Tirkey, a former member of the tribal advisory committee in Jharkhand, told UCA News. According to him, the allegations against Minz were a pretext to kill him. “Wait, till the investigations are over,” he said. It is part of a conspiracy against Christian missionaries and Muslims,” the tribal Catholic leader added. According to the state-run Press Trust of India news agency,  Minz used to sing in the Nagpuri language and many of his songs were hits on social media platforms. After being beaten with sticks, Minz was declared dead by doctors at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science. Three family members of the girl were involved in the crime and were arrested following a complaint by the victim's wife, police said. They were remanded till Dec. 22, police said. India has seen an unprecedented number of attacks against Christians and Muslims

NEW DELHI: India's top court, on Tuesday, issued a temporary order protecting Rajendra Bihari Lal, Vice-Chancellor of SHUATS University in Uttar Pradesh, from arrest and coercive action until January 5. This comes as he challenged the Allahabad High Court's order refusing to quash an FIR related to alleged religious conversion. The Supreme Court's two-judge vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Vishwanathan, passed the interim order today and protected the accused, Lal from arrest till further orders. Lal, the Vice-Chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences (SHUATS) in Uttar Pradesh, is accused of persuading a woman to adopt Christianity by offering her a job and other benefits. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered in November 2023, by a woman against Lal and many others. Challenging this FIR, Lal had moved the Allahabad High Court seeking quashing of it, but the HC refused to quash it, forcing him to knock on the doors of the top court for relief. The FIR was registered against Lal and others under various sections including that of rape, illegal religious conversion and immoral trafficking. The apex court granted relief today to them. "There shall be an interim order protecting the petitioner (Lal) from arrest in connection

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner, Stephen Schneck, urged US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday to designate India as a “country of particular concern” under the US Religious Freedom Act, citing its alleged oppression of religious minorities overseas. USCIRF Statement, Alleged Murder of Pro-Khalistan Leader The USCIRF released a statement outlining its concerns regarding India’s alleged global oppression of religious minorities and those who advocate for them. “Recent efforts by the Indian government to silence activists, journalists, and lawyers abroad pose a serious threat to religious freedom,” the statement said. As per the statement, “Due to India’s systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief, USCIRF implores the US Department of State to designate India a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).” Schneck referred to the Indian government’s alleged participation in the killing of pro-Khalistan Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, and a conspiracy to assassinate another pro-Khalistan leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in the US, as “deeply troubling.” “We call on the Biden Administration to acknowledge the Indian government’s perpetration of particularly severe religious freedom violations and designate it as a country of particular concern (CPC),” Schneck said. Meanwhile, another USCIRF commissioner, David Curry, claimed India’s extension of domestic

New archbishop appeals to forego unnecessary festivities, share resources with victims of violence Christmas celebrations in the northeast Indian state of Manipur will be a low-key affair this year due to ongoing ethnic violence between the majority Meitei Hindus and Kuki tribal people, who are mostly Christian, since early May. “This year several parishes in our archdiocese will not be able to conduct Christmas services or gatherings among families and loved ones… owing to ethnic violence,” Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal Archdiocese said. Six days after assuming the new role, Archbishop Neli in a pastoral letter on Dec. 14, appealed “to restrain from glamorous festive celebrations during this Christmas and New Year 2024.” The prelate wanted Catholics to share their resources with displaced people who were living in relief camps by avoiding carol processions, musical evenings, sports and games, and consumerist behavior among other things. Archbishop Neli also urged them to invoke God’s intervention “to bring about a lasting solution, genuine reconciliation, peace and harmony with justice in our state.” Meanwhile, the Manipur state government assured India’s top court that it will facilitate arrangements for Christians living in relief camps to celebrate Christmas. The assurance came during the Dec. 15 hearing in the Supreme Court on a