A group of concerned Indian Christian citizens announced a National Christian Convention at a press conference held at the Press Club of India on Wednesday, November 4, saying “enough is enough” in response to a 500 per cent increase in violence against the community over the past decade and demanding constitutional action on 4,959 documented incidents.
The convention, scheduled for 29 November at Jantar Mantar, was announced through a press release distributed at the press conference. According to data compiled by the United Christian Forum, incidents of violence against Christians surged from 139 cases in 2014 to 834 in 2024, representing an average annual increase of 69.5 incidents.
The organisers said this demonstrates sustained escalation rather than isolated events. Between 2016 and 2020, over 21 Christians lost their lives, including a pastor who was intentionally electrocuted in Rajasthan, according to the press release.
The press release highlighted what organisers termed a 93 per cent justice gap. Between January and September 2025, monitoring groups documented 579 incidents across India, but only 39 FIRs were registered. The breakdown of 2025 incidents includes 71 intimidation and harassment cases, 51 worship restrictions, 9 physical assaults, and 7 property damage cases.
Geographic analysis reveals extreme concentration of violence. Just five states account for 76.9 per cent of all documented incidents. Uttar Pradesh leads with 1,317 incidents (31.6 per cent of the national total), followed by Chhattisgarh with 926 cases (22.2 per cent), Tamil Nadu with 322 (7.7 per cent), Karnataka with 321 (7.7 per cent), and Madhya Pradesh with 319 (7.7 per cent).
The organisers said vulnerable groups were disproportionately affected in 2025, with 22 Dalits, 16 women and 15 tribal Christians among victims of targeted attacks.
The press release also cited economic impact data from the Institute for Economics and Peace, stating that violence tied to religious tensions costs India nearly ₹1.19 trillion annually, equivalent to 9 per cent of GDP or ₹40,000 per person.
The convention, themed “Towards a Self Reliant, Progressive and United India”, will bring together a diverse coalition including Members of Parliament from ruling and opposition parties, union and state government ministers, heads of churches, civil society leaders, and inter-religious representatives.
The press release stated that expected attendees include leaders from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chandigarh and Delhi NCR. Among the participating organisations are the All India Catholic Union and the National Council for Dalit Christians, along with inter-religious leaders from Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Islamic, Brahma Kumari and Parsi traditions.
The convention will address three core challenges: escalating violence against individuals and institutions, the 75-year exclusion of Dalit Christians from Scheduled Caste benefits under the Presidential Order of 1950, and threats to tribal rights including potential delisting from Scheduled Tribe status.
The press release referenced a recent Supreme Court judgment from October 17, 2025, which recognised harassment of innocent Christians by state administrations. The court noted that anti-conversion laws in Uttar Pradesh were being used as tools to harass innocent citizens by politically motivated persons, and affirmed that religious choice is a matter of personal conscience, not criminal suspicion.
Dr Michael Williams, President of the United Christian Forum, said the convention is structured around four pillars: the problem, the promise, the price and the pathway. “This is not a political movement, but a constitutional dialogue among Indian citizens from the Christian faith, exercising their democratic rights,” the press release stated.
The Christian community in India numbers 28 million (2.3 per cent of the population) and runs over 50,000 educational institutions and 5,000 healthcare facilities serving all communities, according to the press release.
The organisers are demanding immediate legislative action to grant SC status to an estimated 8 to 10 million Dalit Christians, safeguards to prevent delisting of tribal Christians from ST status, mandatory FIR registration for all reported incidents, establishment of fast-track courts for religious violence cases, and creation of state-level monitoring committees with mandatory quarterly reporting to the National Commission for Minorities.
Following the convention, a comprehensive memorandum titled “The Delhi Declaration 2025” will be submitted to the President of India, Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, and the Chief Justice of India.
