Christians in India have faced brutal persecution in a variety of forms, including forced conversions or reconversions to Hinduism, since the hardline Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.
ASSAM, India (LifeSiteNews) -- Christian leaders in the Indian state of Assam are begging the government to increase protection for the faithful in response to the tremendous persecutions they’ve faced over the past year.
Following an emergency meeting in November, the Assam Christian Forum (ACF), which is comprised of several Christian groups, released a statement imploring the government to protect the Christian minorities who are being targeted for their faith. In their statement, the ACF cited persecutions such as harassment and the arrest of Christians praying for the sick or helping the poor, attacks on Christian churches, and false accusations against the Christian community.
“The ACF appeals to the government to safeguard the constitutional rights of the Christian minority community and protect them from being targeted for their faith. We demand immediate action against those responsible for these attacks and false accusations,” Allen Brooks, spokesperson for the ACF wrote in the statement.
Since the hardline Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, religious minorities, including Christians, in Hindu-majority India have faced brutal persecution in a variety of forms, including forced conversions or reconversions to Hinduism.
As the BJP has considerable ties to Hindutva, the ideology that claims Indian identity is linked to Hinduism, religious minorities like Christians have had to face resistance and discrimination on account of their religion.
Based on the 2024 World Watch List by Christian advocacy group Open Doors, India ranks 11th among countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
The organization emphasized that churches and other institutions have been violently attacked, sometimes during Mass or church services. In some cases, the perpetrators demanded the removal Christian statues and paintings.
“This blatant disregard for religious freedom and tolerance is unacceptable,” Brooks said.
The ACF also highlighted that the region’s Christians have faced unjust police investigations related to false accusations that they are involved in the drug trade and/or have violated India’s "Magical Healing Prevention and Evil Act," which criminalized publicly praying for the sick, as this is deemed “magical” healing by non-scientific means. The law has been used to imprison Christians who are helping the poor.
“Since the enactment of this law, innocent church personnel and believers have been harassed and booked for praying for the sick and their well-being or even helping the poor and marginalized to cope with their studies," the ACF wrote.
Earlier this year, India’s Hindu nationalist government also passed draconian anti-conversion laws, which require that citizens inform district authorities of any intention to change their religion 30 days prior to the formal religious ceremony of initiation, such as Baptism. Converts must also prove that they are not being forced or “lured” into conversion.
A report by the U.K.-based group Release International indicates that strict anti-conversion laws in various Indian states have led to “the arrests of hundreds of Christians.”
“We urge the Government to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Christian community to address their concerns and work towards creating a harmonious and inclusive society,” Brooks wrote.
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