Christian leaders have hailed a 6,700-kilometer long walkathon by prominent Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, which he launched from sectarian violence-hit Manipur state, where tribal Christians are fighting for indigenous land rights. Gandhi, who belongs to the Congress Party, started his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (India Justice-Unity March) on Jan. 14 in Manipur’s Thoubal district after the state's pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government refused permission for him to start from the state capital Imphal, citing security reasons. During his address, Gandhi said the march was “less about us [leaders] and more about you [citizens],” criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP for its divisive policies. The sectarian flare-up in Manipur, bordering civil war-hit Myanmar, has claimed the lives of at least 200 people, mostly tribal Kuki Christians, and displaced over 50,000. Modi has not yet visited Manipur nor has he initiated any action against his party's chief minister for failing to maintain law and order in the state. The violence began on May 3 when the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur rallied across all hill districts in the state to protest a court order directing the government to grant tribal status to the already dominant Meitei community. This would get them reservations

Lucknow- In an alarming incident stemming from a cricket match dispute in Lucknow's Indiranagar area, Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit youth was subjected to a heinous assault by members of another community. Shockingly, it is alleged that the assailants went to the extent of humiliating the youth by urinating on his face. The young man, left unconscious during the altercation, endured this horrifying incident on the afternoon of January 13. In connection with the incident, the victim's father has filed a case against 25 to 30 unidentified individuals, including one named Fardeen, at the Indiranagar police station. Residing in Chandan village in the northern part of Indiranagar, the 18-year-old victim works as an AC repairman, living with his family. According to the victim's father, on January 12, his son was engaged in a cricket match with local youths in the field. Simultaneously, youths from other communities were also participating in matches on the same grounds. Trouble brewed when the ball from the Dalit youth's team crossed over to the other side, leading to a verbal altercation between the two groups. While the associates of the victim disengaged from the situation, the Dalit youth remained to collect the ball, only to face a

Three Christians, including a pastor, have been arrested under the stringent anti-conversion law in a northern Indian state. A police team from Saidpur in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district raided the residence of Pastor Ramjit Rajwar following a complaint by Jitendra Singh, a Hindu man. A local court remanded the three Christians in judicial custody on Jan. 15, the same day of their arrest. “They pleaded not guilty of the alleged charges and urged the court to grant them bail, but it was turned down,” said a Christian leader who is assisting them with the legal case. “We will soon file a bail application,” the Church leader, who did not want to be named, told UCA News on Jan.16 In his complaint, Singh accused Pastor Rajwar and the others of forcing him and his ailing wife to convert to Christianity promising miraculous healing. Singh said his religious sentiments were hurt when the pastor and others spoke ill of Hindu religion. During the raid, police seized religious materials including the Bible. Uttar Pradesh, ruled by the pro-Hindu party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has become a hotbed of anti-Christian violence. The most populous state recorded the highest number of documented incidents of persecution against Christians in India last year. From January

MANIPUR, India —Tens of thousands of Christians from the Kuki-Zo tribal community in India’s northeastern state of Manipur continue to be displaced, more than eight months after the onset of ongoing violence. During this period, at least 80 individuals, including women and children, have died due to inadequate healthcare and substandard living conditions in makeshift shelters in one district alone. The conflict between the Kuki-Zo and the majority Meitei community, which is largely Hindu, over land rights and identity has been ongoing since May 3, 2023, resulting in at least 158 deaths and displacing nearly 41,000 Kuki-Zo individuals, according to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum. Of these displaced individuals, at least 21,000 are in more than 110 relief camps in Churachandpur district, which is inhabited by the Kuki-Zo people. Mary Beth, who works with the Churachandpur-based Rural Women Upliftment Society, told The Christian Post that at least 80 displaced individuals, including women and children, have died primarily due to the absence of specialist doctors and essential medicine. Most of these victims had pre-existing conditions like asthma, cancer, renal issues and diabetes, and couldn’t afford to move to another state, Beth said, adding that the government’s aid, consisting of only one blanket and mattress

While caste discrimination against Dalit Hindus continues to cause outrage in Tamil Nadu, the deep penetration of caste in Christianity has also become a point of concern. In recent years, the State has been witnessing a battle within Christianity for recognising Dalits as equals in the diocese. The issue gained political traction with the recent release of writer Nivedita Louis’s book Christhuvathil Jathi(Caste in Christianity) by Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalavan, who heads the Dalit party, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. Mr. Thirumavalavan underlined the “strange phenomenon” in India where Christianity had established itself without any fundamental change to society. “The roots of caste have nourished Christianity (in India)” and it does not possess the “roots of Christian values,” he said. This article is originally published on https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-fight-against-caste-christians/article67719302.ece

The bodies of 60 people who lost their lives amid ethnic violence in India’s state of Manipur have now been returned to their families. Seven months after violence first erupted between the Meitei and the Kuki communities on 3 May 2023, the bodies of the victims were airlifted from mortuaries in the Meitei-majority Imphal district to Kuki ancestral lands in Kanggui and Lamka districts. Four Meitei bodies that were in Lamka district were also airlifted to Imphal. The bodies were returned to their families on December 14. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) sources report that all of those who were moved were killed in the month of May, and that the delay in returning their bodies to their relatives has been attributed to security concerns over moving the bodies of one community through an area where another community is in the majority. The state government also took the decision to airlift the bodies to avoid any further conflict. On 28 November, the Supreme Court ordered that the bodies be given a dignified burial, however the majority remain unclaimed amid reports of relatives facing pressure from civil society organisations not to accept them. CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “CSW remains deeply saddened by the loss of lives

While Christianity has made a lasting impact on society, politics and administration in countries across the world, it has become flexible in its approach towards the caste system in India. The existing society here has deeply influenced the religion, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader and Lok Sabha member Thol. Thirumavalavan has said. “In India, it has established itself without making any fundamental change to the existing society. It is a strange phenomenon. Here, the roots of caste has nourished Christianity,” he said, releasing Christhuvathil Jaathi (Caste in Christianity), authored by writer Nivedita Louis, in Chennai on Thursday. He said the “roots of Christianity in India are the roots of caste” and it does not possess the “roots of its Christian values”. “The approach seems to be that other factors do not matter so long as they remain Christians. Visit the church and sit separately. Be a Christian and it does not matter if you have separate burial grounds. This flexibility, I say, is not the weakness of Christianity. But it only proves the power of the caste system, which has swallowed Christianity,” he said. The VCK leader said that in Indian society, even the basic structure of a family is constructed on the

As we go forth into the New Year, the news that on average every day two Christians have faced attacks is a reality India is confronted with. India’s Christian community, a significant part of the nation’s diverse religious fabric, has been faced with a torrent of hate speech and discrimination by members of radical extremist Hindutva groups. Amidst the rich tapestry of cultural coexistence and historical contribution, instances of discrimination, attacks and violence against Christians rings a bell of alarm for the community and the nation at large. In this year-ender, we delve into the intricacies of these challenges, examining the slurs while centring the voices within the community itself. CJP spoke to Nancy, name changed, who is from Tamil Nadu. She works for a national faith based development organisation and is based in Northern India. Reflecting on the past decade, she stated that, “In the last eight years things have changed drastically in the country. Hate is regularly spread against minorities which is bad for democracy. I haven’t experienced any prejudices or instances personally directly but there is growing suspicion among colleagues and friends who were once close. They now support the current regime which is both sad and very

Members of the Catholic community recently launched a signature campaign titled “Not in Our Name! Christmas Celebrations with PM is Not in Our Name” against the growing hate crimes in the country. It was launched by Jesuit priests – Father Cedric Prakash and Father Prakash Luis – who said over 3,000 signatures were collected within a week. Expressing uneasiness and anguish over the bishops’ failure to address the growing hate crimes against Christians and ethnic violence in Manipur during the recent Christmas celebrations at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi, a statement released by the campaign organisers said, “Christian community has been disturbed by the Christmas gathering called by the PM. The participation of ‘so-called leaders’ and their praise for Modi, especially their silence on the incidents of violence against Christians across India, is condemnable.” The statement further reads, “The anti-conversion laws which have been put into place in BJP-ruled states are used as weapons against the fundamental right to preach, practise and propagate one’s religion. Celebrations in schools have been stopped and Christians have been arrested without any warrant and put behind bars for no offence of their.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Christmas with the Christian community on December

Alappuzha: In an alarming revelation, a report compiled by a human rights group revealed that Christians in the country faced an average of two attacks per day last year. The United Christian Forum (UCF), a Delhi- based human rights group, revealed the atrocities based on incidents reported on their helpline number. According to the report, Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of cases of violence against Christians, followed by Jharkhand and Haryana. Notably, no such incident was reported in Kerala. Initially, the group released the report of various episodes of violence up to November 2023. Later, they prepared a separate list after collecting reports of violence during the Christmas period. UCF launched its toll-free number on January 19, 2015, to learn about the violence targetting Christians in the country. The forum also verifies the authenticity of the reports before recording them same. As per the data published by the UCF, there were 687 attacks on Christians till November 2023. Of these, 531 cases are concentrated in four states. The state-wise distribution of attacks is UP (287), Chhattisgarh (148), Jharkhand (49), Haryana (47), Madhya Pradesh (35), Karnataka (21), Punjab (18), Bihar (14), Gujrat (8), Tamil Nadu (8), Jammu and Kashmir (8), Rajasthan (7), Orissa (7), Delhi