Uttar Pradesh in the north, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south reported the highest incidence, rights group says
Catholics in the Delhi archdiocese pray during an annual Palm Sunday gathering on April 4, 2017. (Photo: Bijay Kumar Minj/UCA News)
Violence against Indian Christians is growing by the day and the federal and provincial governments need to act now to arrest the worrying trend, a human rights group says.
The United Christian Forum (UCF) based in the national capital New Delhi in a press note on Nov. 26 said the growth in recorded incidents is increasing “not just year-on-year, but even month-on-month.”
As per data compiled by UCF through its helpline, a total of 511 incidents were reported as of Nov. 21 this year as against 505 in 2021.
“The growing incidence of violence against religious minorities is an unhappy situation which defies our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s electoral assurance of inclusive growth,” UCF President Michael Williams said.
“Vigilante mobs comprising extremist elements were involved”
Data shows the provinces of Uttar Pradesh in the north, followed by Chhattisgarh in central India, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south were the worst places to be for the nation’s Christians.
Uttar Pradesh reported 149 incidents while Chhattisgarh 115. In the south, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka reported 30 incidents each.
In almost all incidents reported from across the country, vigilante mobs comprising extremist elements were involved. Their modus operandi appeared to be to make allegations of religious conversion activities and either barge into prayer gatherings or attack individuals or small groups of Christians.
Mob crimes were carried out with impunity as the police turned a blind eye or followed suit by arresting Christians under charges of forced conversions, the rights group said.
A.C. Michael, convener of the UCF told UCA News that violence against the Christian communities is compounded by the failure of the police to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators.
“This is despite a slew of directions to the government from the Supreme Court of India to stop the horrendous acts of ‘mobocracy,’” he said.
There are 79 cases registered against pastors in the country alleging their involvement in religious conversion activities, though not a single case has been proved in court so far, he added.
Several lay people are languishing in jail as they are denied bail by courts, the UCF said.