Christian community in India faces surge in violence
The United Christian Forum (UCF) reports that the Christian community in India has endured 400 incidents of violence within a span of 190 days this year. According to the UCF, attacks occurred at a rate of at least twice per day during this period, escalating to three times per day in the month of June alone. During the month of June, UCF documented 88 instances of violence specifically targeting the Christian community, primarily originating from Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. AC Michael, the National Coordinator of UCF, expressed concerns about the government's "indifferent" response to the situation in Manipur, stating that this has emboldened right-wing factions and contributed to the increased number of incidents in June. "Month of June alone has seen 88 incidents which are largely from North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Looks like the indifferent attitude of the government to the violence in Manipur has embolden the violence perpetrators in these states," said Michael. The UCF's half-yearly report for 2023 reveals a significant rise in the number of incidents compared to the same period in the previous year, which documented 274 acts of violence against the Christian community. Among the 23 states that reported violence against the Christian community in the country,