In recent years, India has seen a surge in attacks against Christians, with many incidents being reported from various parts of the country. These incidents have sparked concerns among the Christian community as they petition the Supreme court to intervene.
According to a public petition submitted, it has been requested that the Delhi government prevent “sinister phenomena of violence” and “targeted hate speech” against India’s Christian community. This petition, which addressed the increase in attacks and mob violence against Christians, was initially filed in June 2022 and was presented to the Archbishop of Bangalore Diocese Dr. Peter Machado, along with the Evangelical Fellowship of India.
The Christian community had claimed that the wave of violence is as a result of failure to take proper actions against those groups promoting violence . “Open Doors is deeply troubled by the lack of concrete steps being taken by authorities to address these violations”, Henrietta Blyth, the CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland had replied.
“This fosters a climate of impunity for the perpetrators and creates an environment where religious minorities live in fear of further violence. “
The petition to end the wave of violence against Christians in India had reached the supreme court, which is the highest in the country. In a data compiled and analysed by Open Doors World Watch List to rank persecution against Christians, 17 religion motivated killings of Christians as well as physical abuse reports has affected over 75,000 Christians directly and about 67 Churches has been forcefully shut down.
Henrietta Blyth had the news that the case was finally being heard at the Supreme Court; “Considering the vulnerable situation Christians in India face, either from mob attacks or lack of protection by authorities, an independent judiciary is their beacon of hope to seek protection.”
In 2021, a prayer house in Rorkee was vandalised by a group of people. The attackers damaged the church’s furniture and broke its windows, causing damage worth lakhs of rupees. The attack was condemned by various Christian organisations, who called for action against the perpetrators.
Activists and believers have expressed concern over the rise in attacks against Christians in India. They have accused the authorities of not doing enough to protect the Christian community and have called for strict action against the perpetrators. Christian organisations have also called for the government to take action against those who incite violence against Christians.
