United Christian Forum urges Centre to act against rising violence targeting Christians

New Delhi: The United Christian Forum (UCF) on Tuesday appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene urgently against rising violence and hostility targeting the Christian community across India. In a detailed letter, the UCF described a pattern of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination against Christians, particularly in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh.

The letter highlighted data from the UCF showing 834 recorded incidents of violence against Christians in 2024, averaging nearly 70 incidents per month. As of November 2025, 706 such incidents had been reported. According to the forum, the main cause of these attacks is the propagation of false allegations of fraudulent conversions. Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh were identified as the states with the highest number of incidents, recording 157 and 184 cases respectively.

UCF cited the 2025 report Criminalising Practice of Faith by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), which documented collusion between police and Hindutva groups in targeting Christians. The report stated that mobs often disrupt prayer meetings and threaten participants while authorities fail to protect victims, with complaints often filed under Sections 295A and 298 of the Indian Penal Code.

In tribal regions, Christians reportedly face denial of burial space and coercion to exhume bodies. The UCF recorded 23 burial-related incidents in 2025, including 19 in Chhattisgarh, while 2024 saw about 40 such cases. The forum noted instances where mobs chanted “Ghar Wapsi” during exhumations, threatening Christian families.

Several specific incidents were cited: in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, on December 15, 2025, the father of elected sarpanch Rajman Salam was buried on family farmland, only for a mob to demand exhumation citing local deity claims. In Balod district, villagers in November refused a Christian burial, claiming only traditional rites were permissible. In Nabarangpur, Odisha, in April, the burial of 21-year-old Saravan Gond was obstructed by a mob demanding the family renounce Christianity; the body was later exhumed and burned, forcing the family to flee their village.

The UCF also drew attention to the impact of anti-conversion laws in 12 states, which it said are often misused to target religious minorities, undermining constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion, equality, and conscience. The forum cited cases where Christians were arrested following complaints from third parties, including extremist groups, despite the law stipulating that only those directly affected by conversions may file complaints.

Notable cases include: in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, Jabbar Khan’s home was demolished following allegations under the state anti-conversion law, despite Supreme Court guidelines on due process. In Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district, Pastor Santosh Nishad was arrested for hosting a prayer gathering after allegations of fraudulent conversion; documents submitted to the court suggested the complainant acted under duress.

The Supreme Court has previously quashed FIRs against Christians, including in the case of Rajendra Bihari Lal & Anr. v. State of U.P. & Ors., ruling that peaceful religious gatherings and charity work do not constitute unlawful conversion, and that criminal law cannot be used to harass innocent persons.

UCF warned that incidents of violence increase during festive periods, noting recent attacks against Christians in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua region, where individuals have been assaulted and booked under anti-conversion laws during Christmas celebrations. The forum also expressed alarm over a planned state-wide “Chhattisgarh Bandh” on December 24, 2025, which specifically targets the Christian community, potentially escalating social unrest.

The forum urged the Home Minister to take immediate steps, including canceling the proposed bandh, providing human rights and religious freedom training to police and judiciary, issuing advisories to state governments to repeal anti-conversion laws, and ensuring active and transparent human rights and minority commissions in every state.

It further called for judicial pursuit of all violent acts against religious and tribal minorities and Dalits, promoting dialogue between religious leaders, legal experts, and civil society on conversion-related issues, and ensuring compensation for those targeted for their faith. The UCF also recommended implementing National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities guidelines to prevent religion from determining Scheduled Caste eligibility.

The forum concluded that immediate intervention by the central government is necessary to safeguard constitutional rights and foster peace and tolerance, stressing that continuing violence has instilled fear among Christians, affecting their ability to freely practice their faith.

The UCF’s letter to the Home Minister underscores mounting concerns over religious intolerance in India and seeks urgent action to prevent further targeting of minority communities.