John Singarayar SVD –
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks of his bond with India’s Christian community or embraces the Pope for cameras in Rome, his words feel increasingly hollow. Back home, a darker reality unfolds. Across India this December, Christians gathering for Christmas prayers have faced mobs hurling stones, threats echoing through sanctuaries, and violence disrupting what should be joyous celebrations. From Delhi’s urban neighbourhoods to Odisha’s villages, from Madhya Pradesh’s heartland to Uttarakhand’s hills, the pattern is unmistakable and deeply troubling.
These aren’t isolated incidents but coordinated attacks. In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, a gang stormed into a church, beat worshippers, smashed property, and chanted “Jai Shri Ram” amid the chaos. In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, a mob forcibly stopped Christmas celebrations, vandalising and damaging items prepared for the festival. In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, members of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad sat outside Bishop Conrad School in the Cantonment area, reciting Hanuman Chalisa and raising “Jai Shree Ram” slogans—all while police stood by watching. On Christmas Eve in Nalbari, Assam, groups stormed St. Mary’s School in Panigaon, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hindu Rashtra” as they destroyed and burnt Christmas decorations that children had lovingly prepared. In Haridwar, similar groups barged into prayer meetings and assaulted worshippers. Odisha, still scarred by the brutal 2008 Kandhamal pogrom that killed over a hundred Christians and displaced tens of thousands, witnessed fresh assaults on midnight masses. Even in the capital, carol singers in East of Kailash faced heckling and intimidation.
Videos circulating online show organised groups, often linked to right-wing outfits, targeting these gatherings under flimsy pretexts of preventing “forced conversions” or stopping “anti-national activities”. What is particularly alarming is the brazenness—these attacks happen in churches, schools, and public spaces, often with police present but passive, suggesting either complicity or orders to stand down.
The human cost is staggering. Women shield terrified children from flying rocks and hostile crowds. Priests plead desperately for calm as attackers advance. A visually impaired woman in Madhya Pradesh was harassed simply for participating in a festive event. Children who should associate Christmas with carols and lights now huddle in fear, watching their decorations burnt and worship spaces vandalised, their innocence stolen by violence. Vendors selling Christmas items receive threats that such displays don’t belong in a “Hindu nation”. In tribal regions, disputes over burials escalate into churches and homes being burnt to ashes, with families fleeing just days before Christmas.
This violence isn’t random mischief. It reflects a calculated campaign emboldened by political rhetoric around Hindutva. Laws ostensibly designed to prevent coerced religious conversions have become weapons for harassment. Pastors face accusations without evidence, churches are branded conspiracy hubs, and victims who approach police often find their complaints ignored or dismissed. Meanwhile, perpetrators walk free, sometimes celebrated locally as defenders of faith. The United Christian Forum documented over 700 attacks on Christians in 2025 alone, a sharp increase from previous years. Official crime statistics likely undercount the reality, as fear and police bias discourage reporting.
The contrast between Modi’s international gestures and domestic realities couldn’t be starker. His government’s track record on minority safety invites serious scrutiny. The United States has repeatedly flagged India in religious freedom reports. The Vatican watches with quiet concern. Global media increasingly frames India as sliding toward intolerance. This matters beyond optics—investors hesitate, tourists reconsider, and India’s carefully cultivated soft power erodes. When the Prime Minister embraces the Pope abroad while Christians face violence at home, the world notices the disconnect.
India’s Christians, numbering over 28 million, have contributed immensely to the nation’s fabric. From ancient Syrian Christian communities in Kerala to modern icons like Mother Teresa, they embody the pluralism that India once celebrated. They run schools in remote areas, operate hospitals serving the poorest, and enrich the country’s diversity. When their safety is threatened, it is not just their community that suffers—the entire idea of India as a secular democracy fractures.
Political leaders have issued stark warnings about the international consequences of this violence, and their assessment carries weight because it reflects observable reality. The cost isn’t merely diplomatic isolation or economic consequences. It is the soul of a democracy crumbling under vigilante rule, the vibrancy of India’s diversity fading as fear replaces celebration.
This moment demands more than speeches and photo opportunities. It requires concrete action. Police must actively protect religious gatherings rather than stand as passive witnesses to intimidation. Perpetrators of violence must face swift prosecution, not impunity. Laws against conversion must not become tools for harassment. Most importantly, the Prime Minister must publicly and unequivocally denounce these attacks, making clear that vigilante violence has no place in India.
India’s strength has always come from its mosaic of faiths coexisting and enriching one another. When one community cannot celebrate safely, it diminishes everyone. The Constitution promises religious freedom not as charity but as a fundamental right. That promise means nothing if women and children gather for Christmas prayers in terror rather than peace, if worship spaces become targets for beatings and vandalism, or if school decorations prepared with joy are burnt before children’s eyes.
True leadership means defending the vulnerable, even when they are minorities. It means ensuring every Indian can practice their faith without fear. This Christmas, as families worldwide celebrate hope and renewal, India’s Christians deserve the same—not empty gestures from leaders, but genuine safety and dignity. Anything less betrays the nation’s founding ideals and threatens its democratic character. The world is indeed watching, and history will judge how India responds to this test of its constitutional values.