Saffron flags and posters of religious deities and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are dotting streets across India to mark the January 22 consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh state. However, public euphoria around the ceremony has also raised fears of violence and discrimination against India’s religious minorities, particularly Muslims. The occasion is widely seen as a culmination of Hindu majoritarian and political demands led by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates. The temple was constructed around the site where the 16th century Babri Mosque stood until a Hindu mob demolished it in 1992. Many Hindus believe that the mosque had been built on the ruins of a previous temple marking the birthplace of the Hindu god Ram. Thousands died in religious clashes and riots across the country following the demolition, including deadly violence in Gujarat state in 2002. While the authorities secured the area during the ceremony, Ayodhya’s Muslim residents expressed concerns for their safety. One group wrote to the police requesting law enforcement remain vigilant as devotees from throughout India visit the city over the coming weeks. Some have sent their families away from the city. Many Indian Muslims on social media have also cautioned against impending violence and have called for community members to avoid traveling

Vijay Masih was embarrassed to welcome his guests in such uncomfortable conditions. He had borrowed his sister's cottage; his own being under construction. His wife, Preeti, prepared a chai to provide warmth in the icy atmosphere of late December. In the spring, the evangelical pastor and his family had moved to an informal village just outside Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India. There's no electricity, no sanitation, no asphalt. He sleeps on a makeshift mattress outside on the dirt. But at least he feels safe in this all-Christian community of over 300 people. For 12 years, Masih served the Evangelical Church of India 100 kilometers away in Fatehpur, a large rural town. He had a salary and a house, and his two children attended a private school. But an event suddenly interrupted the thread of this tranquil life: On April 14, 2022, the eve of Good Friday, as he and 70 other Christians were preparing for Easter celebrations in the village church, hostile chants were heard. This article is originally published on https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/01/06/hindu-extremists-ruthlessly-hunt-down-christians-in-india_6406265_4.html#

Police in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have discovered the charred body of an Evangelical pastor who had been missing for about 10 days. The family identified the body by recognizing his belt, shoes and glasses. Pastor Abraham Parambil Thekkethil, of Vayalar Nagar Manthippara St. Thomas Evangelical Church, was found deceased near the Idukki-Tamil Nadu border, local media outlet Onmanorama reported, adding that his identity was confirmed by his son.Forensic experts have claimed the death might have been a suicide. The pastor is believed to have self-immolated using petrol. This theory is supported by the presence of an unburned arm, likely used to pour the inflammable liquid, and a nearby lighter. Tamil Nadu fingerprint experts also investigated the scene, according to the report. A missing person report for Abraham was filed last Monday by the church’s head priest, identified only as Jijo. Abraham had been missing since the previous Monday morning. Abraham, who leaves behind a wife and two sons, aged 27 and 24, had ventured into a business producing candles and frankincense, among other items, before the COVID-19 lockdowns. The pandemic severely impacted his business, leading to debts of nearly 2 million Indian rupees (roughly $24,000). Although he received some financial

Mrs. Chanda is a known Christian in Chhattisgarh, but she’s never forced her religion on anyone. However, this past November, in the early morning, villagers gathered and then barged into her home. She was dragged out of her house as the violent mob screamed at her, accusing her of following the Western God. Then the women in the mob began to beat her. After she was left bloodied and bruised, she was taken to the hospital. Months later, she is still undergoing treatment for her hands and lingering injuries in her back. And more mob violence continued. After Mrs. Chanda was beaten, the mob turned their focus to other families who follow Jesus. Two families were publicly attacked. The same two families owned 10 acres of land with paddy fields ready for harvest. The villagers looted their fields and stole farming tools. The families registered a case with the police, but the authorities refused to take action. 21 Christian families were then summoned to a village council meeting where they received a final warning: abandon Jesus or leave the village. If they didn’t abandon Christ, they were told they would face starvation, and that no locals would buy crops from them. Sadly, fearing

A tribal rights body has opposed a government move in India’s strife-torn Manipur state to review the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status enjoyed by Kuki-Zo tribal communities. The controversial move will “escalate the conflict” in the northeastern state where sectarian violence killed hundreds and displaced thousands since last May, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) said in a Jan. 10 statement. The ST status is a constitutional recognition in India for socio-economically and politically backward ethnic groups. It entitles them to preferential treatment such as reservation in education, jobs and political representation. The tribal body's reaction came after Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told reporters in the state capital Imphal, on Jan. 9 that a committee would be formed to look into the demand to take off Kuki-Zo from the list of Scheduled Tribes. This announcement came after the Federal government of the pro-Hindu Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Jan. 9 forwarded a representation from a political party demanding to delist Kuki-Zo tribals from the list of STs to the state government for its consideration. This move, “will only escalate the conflict, which will be ultimately detrimental to him [Singh] and the state,” ITLF said in the statement. Unprecedented ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May

Three churches in the village of Amdi, India, were forced to close last weekend after a mob of right-wing radicals stormed their regular Sunday morning services. The attackers ransacked the homes where congregants were gathered and warned them of further consequences should they continue to meet for worship. Christians in the village were left in a state of fear and intimidation, further worsened by the refusal of police to register a report against the attackers. In the aftermath of the attack, three pastors were arrested and falsely charged with alleged ‘forced conversion activities’ – a common charge levelled against Indian Christians by government officials when no true crimes have been committed. The three men were Pastor Santosh Sahu of Immanual Church, who has been conducting his services for the last 12 years, Pastor Thakur Ram of Church of God, and Pastor Bhagchand Dhibar of A.G. Church. They were later released on bail, but that did little to ease the concern caused by the mob. “There has been a sense of fear among the Christian believers, while witnessing increased anti-Christian sentiments,” said a Christian who requested anonymity. “We are worried and anxious about the mob attacks against

Two security personnel have been killed while three schools were set on fire in fresh violence reported from strife-torn Manipur state in northeast India. The clashes between armed miscreants and security personnel took place in the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district on Jan. 17. Miscreants also burnt three schools – Bethsaida Academy Moreh, Mount Moreh Public School, and Dr. Colvin Academy – aggravating the already tense situation in the area bordering Myanmar. “Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity working in the troubled town vacated their convent after bullets hit the building,” said a Church official who did not want to be named. He said fortunately there were no casualties or injuries as the priests, nuns and other staff working in the area had moved to safer places because of the escalating violence. The state government has sought assistance from the federal government including security reinforcements to deal with alleged armed Kuki miscreants active along the India- Myanmar border. Manipur authorities also sought the deployment of a helicopter for at least a week to “meet emergency requirements” given the fresh bout of violence. “The law-and-order situation at the border town of Moreh has become a matter of serious concern as there has been continuous exchange of

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