A tribal Christian forum in the strife-torn northeast Indian state of Manipur has condemned the attacks on its office and its spokesperson in two separate incidents.The attackers "destroyed computers and documents" at the office of the Indigenous Tribal Leader’s Forum (ITLF) in Churachandpur district on March 17 night,  a church leader who did not want to be named told UCA News on March 19. In another incident on the same night some people attacked the home of ITLF spokesperson Pu Ginza Vualzong in an attempt to kill him, the organization said in the March 18 statement.The tribal forum represents ethnic Christians in the state.The district, a stronghold of Kuki-Zo tribal Christians, has been tense since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur 10 months ago. The ITLF statement condemned the attacks.“The ITLF will not tolerate these heinous acts and won’t stop until the alleged offenders come out and settle the matter as soon as possible," it said in the statement.The Zomi Student Federation (ZSF), the students' arm of the indigenous Zomi community, condemned the violent act in the Churachandpur district, which is regarded as a stronghold of tribal Christians. “ZSF will not remain silent if the same act of aggression or invasion by one or more persons, groups, associations or

Four Christian-run institutions in the Uttar Pradesh town of Fatehpur face criminal cases for alleged forcible conversion of Hindus, with over 200 accused, many arrested and imprisoned, under UP’s three- year-old anti-conversion law. An investigation by Article 14 reveals similar statements in four FIRs over nine months, police cases or raids on Christian institutions, based on illegal third-party or anonymous complaints. Simultaneously, the Union government acted against the finances of one of these four institutions. On 14 April 2022, a warm summer’s day, pastor A* was at home on the premises of Broadwell Christian Hospital in Fatehpur when he received a panicked phone call.The call came from the 118-year-old Evangelical Church of India, located barely 500 m away in the Hariharganj locality of this eastern UP town. At the church, pastor Vijay Masih was about to finish up a daily prayer service, when all hell broke loose. Around 55 Christians had gathered inside the church that day to commemorate Maundy Thursday—a holy day on the Christian calendar, marking the last supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples. The prayer service was scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.At 7 p.m., around 200–250 people affiliated with the Hindu right-wing group Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), stormed

A trial court in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on March 11 sentenced Ramesh Babulal Masih and his wife, Sakhi Ramesh Masih, to two years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 (US$603) under the state's Freedom of Religion Act 2021.The complainant Abhishek, a close relative of Sakhi, had accused the couple of offering him a job of 20,000 rupees monthly salary, in case he converted to Christianity. The alleged incident took place in October 2021. Though the couple denied the charges the court found them guilty.“It is a court order and we have to respect it. At the same time, it is not a final order. The couple can challenge it in the high court, the top court in the state,” Daniel John, a Catholic leader based in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, said on March 15. “The court convicted them merely based on the allegation of attempt to convert,” he told UCA News. “It is very easy for anyone to level such complaints.”The sweeping anti-conversion law, enacted by the ruling pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Madhya Pradesh, criminalizes religious conversion through misrepresentation, use of threat or force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, and allurement, among others. “The

A mob of 200 people attacked a church and injured 20+ Christians over a road dispute in Telangana, India.At least 22 Christians in India injured after a 200-strong mob attacked a church are still in shock after their ordeal. Two children were among those injured in the mob violence in the southern state of Telangana. The violence occurred over a land dispute, in which attackers shouted, “Jai Shri Ram”, meaning ‘Hail Lord Ram’, – a chant which has become a hallmark of Hindu nationalists. “The Christians have not recovered from their shock,” shares Nitish*, a local believer who witnessed the attack. “The injured victims are recovering while others are afraid of what is going to happen next.” Attack over road dispute. The clash started when believers at the church were told that their building would be demolished for a road expansion. Tensions had arisen after a group of villagers demanded the road to be widened eight feet into the compound of the Methodist Church in the Janwada village area of Rangareddy district. The Christians protested, and that’s when things turned violent. “The argument became strong, and suddenly around 200 people barged into the church with hockey sticks, stones and wooden sticks,” shares Nitish. “When

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Father Dominic Pinto of the Lucknow diocese was arrested Feb. 5 along with six Protestants on charges of trying to convert poor Dalits, or “untouchables,” from Hinduism to Christianity “Finally, I am able to give you good news. The District Judge has granted bail to Father Dominic and all those who were arrested with him. Praise the Lord,” said Bishop Gerald John Mathias of Lucknow, the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. “I thank you sincerely for your constant prayers and sacrifices for this intention. So many people including bishops, priests, sisters, lay faithful, and youth have been praying. God has finally heard our prayers,” the bishop said. The diocese has over 22 million people, but the Catholic population is only about 8,200. Both the city and state are ruled by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which often accuses Christians of trying to convert Hindus. Pinto is the director of the Navintha pastoral center of the Lucknow diocese, which he had agreed to make available to a group called Khrist Bhakts, or “followers of Christ,” composed of Hindus, Muslims and members of other religions who nevertheless find inspiration in Christ and pray

State lawmakers in India are seeking to curtail evangelism with a ban on “magical healing” that could penalize Christians who offer prayer or any “non-scientific” practices to comfort people who are sick. Last month, the northeastern state of Assam introduced the bill, which Christian leaders say unfairly targets their community’s custom of praying for the sick. Though church healing meetings in India have drawn people to Christ, local Christians insist that prayer is a legitimate, universal spiritual practice and not an unethical tool for conversion, as Hindu nationalists claimed. The proposed ban, which passed the 126-member state assembly on February 26, states that:No person shall take any part in healing practices and magical healing propagation for treatment of any diseases, any disorder or any condition relating to the health of a person (relating to human body) directly or indirectly giving a false impression of treatment to cure diseases, pain or trouble to the human health. Any first-time offender can face one to three years in prison, a fine of 50,000 rupees (about $600 USD), or both. A subsequent conviction may result in up to five years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of 100,000 rupees (about $1,200 USD). The bill must be ratified by the president of India

ASSAM: United Christian Forum Golaghat has submitted a memorandum to Hon’ble Governor of Assam, Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding an alarming increase in targeted attacks against the Christians and their organizations in Assam. UCF Golaghat which is led by President Jidan Aind and Secretary Leander Toppo, stressed the urgent need for government intervention to bring down the grievances faced by the Christian community. The memoramdum described tragedies, including demands by some groups to remove ethnic Christians from the scheduled tribes, threats to Christian schools to remove religious symbols, and a nun a recent bus removal for mocking his faith raised concerns about safety and religious freedom. As such in recent times there has been apprehension over the proposed Assam Medical (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill 2024, and Christians fear that they may be misinterpreted and victimized targeting their religious practices. UCF Golaghat stressed the importance of ensuring that the legislature does not violate the constitutional rights of religious minorities. Showing grave concern over these developments, UCF Golaghat urged the government to take decisive action to curb anti-Christian activities and ensure prompt response by civilian police. They also called for a rethink of the use of controversial words in constitutional law to prevent misinterpretations that could further aggravate the problems. Drawing the attention

The local Christian community, who is trying to grapple with the violent incident, has taken to the public forum X to fervently appeal to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister for swift and resolute action against the perpetrators. The plea underscores the gravity of the situation and seeks justice for the deliberate assault on their place of worship. Responding to the matter, the Ramanagara Town police have officially registered a case and have promised an investigation in the matter. A month ago, on January 24th, a Christian couple was attacked in the state in Bijapur. The couple was reportedly physically assaulted by a mob of people associated with Hindutva groups. The mob accused the couple of engaging in forced religious conversion. Furthermore, the assault did not stop there, as per reports by Siasat News, right-wing groups even lead a campaign against the couple on various social media platforms. Vijayalakshmi, in her complaint, asserted that it was her constitutional right to practise Christianity. She highlighted that her family has been facing persistent harassment on the basis of religion. They have also been getting abusive comments and the sudden cancellation of crucial government documents such as the Aadhaar card. The report details that this is not an isolated

The leader of a Hindu group in northeastern Assam state plans legal action against Church-run schools in the state after they ignored a deadline to remove Christian symbols from school premises.Satya Ranjan Borah, who heads the Kutumba Surakshya Parishad (family safety council), told UCA News that his preparations are complete to file a case in the high court, the state's top court. "I have adequate documents to support my demand," he told UCA News on March 7.Borah's council had set a 15-day deadline on Feb. 7 for all Christian schools to remove all Christian symbols such as crosses and statues from school premises and classrooms. The Feb. 7 press meeting, addressed by 10 other right-wing outfits, also demanded priests and nuns to come to schools in civil dress rather than in their religious dress.Borah publicly made these demands and warned of dire consequences in case of failure. The government in the state is run by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.“I am not against Jesus Christ or Christianity. But my demand is to free missionary schools from religious symbols of all forms,” Borah told UCA News on March 7. "We are against all forms of religious symbols in any school premises in the state," he

A forum of lay Catholics has urged the head of a state government in northeast India to protect minority Christians and tribal people who are being threatened and harassed by hardline Hindu groups. “We cannot keep silent and remain mute spectators when our community is in pain,” John S. Shilshi, founder member of the North East Catholic Research Forum (NECRF), told UCA News on March 6.In a memorandum handed over to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 3, the NECRF expressed disappointment that the state administration failed to address the community's grievances. “The chief minister is the guardian of all people irrespective of their caste, creed, and religion,” it reminded him.Shilshi said the memorandum highlighted the ultimatum given by a Hindu group, Kutumbha Surakshya Parishad (family protection council), to Christian schools in Assam to rid themselves of all Christian symbols. The group’s president Satya Ranjan Borah on Feb. 7 also threatened priests and nuns to discontinue wearing cassocks and habits on school campuses and demanded that churches located within educational complexes be removed. A poster in Assamese, the state's official language, came up near a Christian school on Feb. 23. “This is a final warning to stop using schools as a religious institution. Remove Jesus