More than 160 violent attacks against Christians were reported in India this past year as laws passed by the country’s reigning Hindu nationalist government added to the threat to religious freedom in the nation. According to a recent report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Christians in India are facing increasingly hostile threats of violence and religious discrimination. USCIRF is now calling for India to be added to the U.S. government’s list of international religious freedom violators as a country of particular concern (CPC) — a move that has provoked outrage from the country’s government. A spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry spoke out against USCIRF on Thursday, describing the U.S. agency as “a biased organization with a political agenda,” according to news reports. “We reject this malicious report,” the spokesperson said, “which only serves to discredit the USCIRF further.” The spokesperson called on USCIRF to “desist from such agenda-driven efforts” and to instead focus its attention on human rights issues within its own country. Incidents of religious freedom violations listed in the USCIRF report include physical attacks on individuals, places of worship, and schools; restrictions on public prayer; and false accusations of “forced conversion” for which the punishment ranges from hefty fines in

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Balakrishnan Rajagopal has filed an application to assist the Supreme Court in framing guidelines from an international human rights law perspective to address the concerns of punitive demolitions in India. The Rapporteur, in an application on Friday, pointed to the danger of using punitive demolition by the State as a tool for land-grabbing. Earlier this month, while hearing a batch of petitions over punitive demolitions happening across India, Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan had expressed an intention to lay down pan-India guidelines to address concerns. Rajagopal has told the Supreme Court that the State-driven, punitive and arbitrary demolition of homes and commercial establishments is an “aggravated form of human rights violation”. “Arbitrary demolitions carried out for purportedly punitive reasons are aggravated forms of human rights violations, especially when they target or result in discriminatory impacts against minorities, and when demolitions result in homelessness, they may constitute a violation of the prohibition against cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment,” LiveLaw quoted the filing. The top court scheduled the next hearing on October 01. On September 17 the Supreme Court passed an interim order staying demolitions without its permission till October 1, the next date of hearing. The bench

Despite Sikhism being the world’s fifth-largest religion, it remains largely unknown to many outside its sphere. As a Sikh raised in America, with grandparents who migrated from India in search of a better life, I’ve grown up with the deeply ingrained values of my faith. At the heart of Sikhism is a profound respect for all religions and a belief in equal rights, including the right to freedom of religious belief. That is why I feel compelled to write this article, highlighting the religious turmoil in India—my grandparents' homeland—where Sikh communities and other marginalized groups face significant challenges. In India today, the current political and sociocultural climate has created a hostile environment where violent attacks against religious minorities have become devastatingly common. This article will explore the historical and legal factors that have shaped this oppressive atmosphere as well as the ongoing struggles these communities face. It will examine local and international efforts to help and detail how individuals in America can contribute to improving the situation in India. Historical Context Since the 1947 partition (which separated India from Muslim-majority Pakistan), rising religious tensions have led many Muslims and Christians to emigrate, while an increasing number of Hindus have moved to India

In Bihar, 18 Christian preachers have been detained for distributing religious books in government schools without permission. The Bhabua SDM and SDPO said that they received information that some people were preaching religion in two government schools. Upon investigation, 18 people were detained and their three vehicles were seized. The incident took place at Prathmik Vidyalaya Nivia and Madhya Vidyalaya Kinnar Chola Jaitpur in Bhagwanpur block. Locals saw some people distributing religious books to children without permission during school hours. Police seized the material Upon receiving the information, Bhabua SDM Vijay Kumar and SDPO Shiv Shankar Kumar reached the school with police force and took all 18 people into custody. Of these, 6 people are from local Bhagwanpur, one from Varanasi and 11 from Hyderabad. Bhabhua DSP Shiv Shankar Kumar said that information was received that some people belonging to a particular religion had entered two government schools without permission and were propagating their religion. 18 people in custody Police found out that some of the people distributing propaganda material are local residents of Bhagwanpur and the rest are residents of Hyderabad. A total of 18 people have been detained. FIRs have been filed against all of them and action is being taken. Along with

As organizations dedicated to fighting for justice, equality, and human rights around the world, we call on President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to publicly and privately raise concerns about the increasing pattern of transnational repression from the Indian government when they meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during this weekend’s Quad Summit. Biden and Albanese must make clear that any security relationship cannot come at the expense of the security and rights of Americans, Australians, and Indians. The current Indian government has consistently harassed individuals outside of its borders in an attempt to silence critics of Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party. These incidents include high-profile trolling campaigns against journalists and human rights activists, the censorship of international press and civil society, the weaponization of the Indian immigration system, and even attempts on individuals’ lives. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating allegations that the Indian government attempted to kill a Sikh activist and American citizen. The DoJ case also alleges that senior members of the Indian government carried out a global campaign of repression against members of the Sikh diaspora, including the murder of a Sikh Canadian—allegations that were first raised by Canadian Prime Minister Justin

A tribal body in India’s strife-torn Manipur has announced a four-day travel advisory for Christians, cautioning them against an impending attack by their rival Hindu group. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Sept. 24 urged Kuki-Zo tribal Christians in the hilly state in northeastern India not to venture out of their areas as the Hindu Meitei community may launch an attack between Sept. 26 and 29. The ITLF has put all village volunteers on high alert, especially in its stronghold in Churachandpur district, where tribal students started a riot 16 months ago. The tribal body also announced the closure of schools, other institutions and offices from Sept. 27-29 and a total shutdown on Sept. 28. In a statement on Sept. 24, ITLF said the Manipur government recently accumulated highly advanced Medium Machine Gun (MMG) MK 2A1 weapons, and state security advisor Kuldiep Singh hinted at an impending “attack” on Sept. 28. “Previously, an assault on Kuki-Zo occurred shortly after the Manipur government issued a warning of an attack by 200 Kuki militants,” it noted. “This is their strategy to target us. They use the media to blame the Kuki-Zo for everything and Meitei militants attack us,” a Church leader who did not want to be

Reports reaching functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) state that conversion is taking place at alarming levels in the two states of Bihar and Jharkhand.As per the 2011 census, the Christian population in Bihar is stated to be 1.29 lakhs (0.12%) of the total 10.41 Crore. However, this number, RSS functionaries claim, is likely to show a significant increase once the findings of the census, which will begin in some time, are released.As per the discussions that these Delhi-based functionaries had with their counterparts from Bihar, conversion in that state has become pronounced in the last few years, where people, who identify themselves as members of the tribal and backward communities, are accepting Christianity. Social experts and studies have shown that poverty is one of the primary reasons that pushes people from one faith to convert into followers of another religion in lieu of promises of a better living condition and recognition. As per the latest NITI Aayog data, Bihar, despite reducing its multi-dimensional poverty by 7% between 2019 and 2022, continues to top the list of states that have the highest number of multidimensional poor, followed by Meghalaya and Jharkhand. Bihar has around 26.59% of its population multidimensionally poor in 2022-23, as

The National Ecumenical Bishops’ Fellowship Meeting, aimed at fostering fellowship and fraternity among the Christian community, focused on strengthening the ecumenical movement and addressing urgent national issues. The event brought together Presidents, Moderators, and Heads of Churches across India for an evening of dialogue, prayer, and fellowship. The session was chaired by Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, President of CBCI, who welcomed the participants, while Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios, Chairman of CBCI Office for Dialogue and Ecumenism, delivered an inaugural address. According to the official statement, “The main purpose of our gathering in this Fellowship Meeting was to promote the fellowship and fraternity in the Lord Jesus Christ among the Bishops / Heads of Churches on the national level. It aimed to strengthen the ongoing ecumenical movement in India so that the Lord’s farewell wish and prayer ‘May they all be one’ (Jn 17:21) can be realized soon.” During the ecumenical dialogue, participants addressed pressing national concerns and matters relating to the Christian community in India. The gathering resulted in key resolutions aimed at strengthening unity among Churches. The meeting emphasized the need to come together more often to foster fellowship and fraternity among Church leaders. Efforts will be made to strengthen existing ecumenical federations of Churches at

Around 50 members of the Akhil Bharati Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, entered the premises of St. Peter Higher Secondary School in the Diocese of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh this past July — and placed portraits of Hindu goddesses. The ABVP members targeted the statues of St. Peter and Mary, demanding that they be replaced with portraits of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who is regarded as the patron of knowledge, and Bharat Mata, which represents Mother India, on the school premises. However, this was not the first such attack. In February, a poster telling Christian schools to remove Jesus and Mary appeared in the northeast state of Assam. Father Mathew Anchukandam, the archdiocesan vicar-general, mentioned that similar posters were discovered that month, prompting Christian schools to seek police protection and file complaints with the state government. Dr. Michael Williams, secretary for the Forum of Minority Schools, said people who commit such crimes think that they will get national attention. However, they have neglected to remember the important role played by the Christian schools in educating Indian youth. The enduring presence and contribution of Christian schools — built by Catholics and other denominations — across India highlight their pivotal