India sees a 500% rise in attacks on Christians – study

Christians of India during prayer. Photo: Zenit

On 12 November 2025, ZENIT published data from the United Christian Forum showing that the number of attacks on Christians in India has increased by more than 500% over the past ten years: from 139 incidents in 2014 to 834 in 2024, with a total of 4,595 documented attacks.

Representatives of Christian communities describe the numbers as shocking: the attacks target families, clergy, prayer houses, and congregations living under constant pressure. The United Christian Forum emphasizes that the violence has become systemic.

According to Forum coordinator A. C. Michael, 549 new cases were registered between January and September 2025 alone. Only 39 of them were investigated, meaning that in nearly all episodes the attackers remain unpunished while Christians remain unprotected.

Christian organizations in India attribute the sharp rise in attacks to the policy of the party that has been in power since 2014. Twelve Indian states governed by this party have “anti-conversion” laws that are used as a tool of pressure: Christians are fined, arrested, and accused of “forced conversions” based on a single complaint.

Hindu nationalists regularly carry out raids in villages, demanding “reconversion,” threatening to destroy prayer houses, and attacking congregations. Dalit Christians and believers from indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable, facing discrimination and intimidation that authorities often ignore.

The report notes that on 29 November, Christian organizations in India are preparing a demonstration in New Delhi, demanding protection for their communities and an end to the growing violence. The highest number of attacks occurs in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh, which account for 77% of all documented cases.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Turkey is expelling Christians under the pretext of “national security.”

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