Major Christian organizations in India have issued urgent statements and appeals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi following a series of violent incidents during Christmas, welcoming his recent outreach while demanding concrete government action against rising attacks on the community.
The National Council of Churches in India, in a statement following the Prime Minister’s visit to the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi on Christmas Day, described the gesture, particularly at a time when attacks on Christians and places of worship had been reported, as a “reassuring signal” to the Christian community, suggesting that the government and NDA leadership stand with Indian Christians.
However, the NCCI placed on record its “repeated earnest appeal” to the Government of India and its NDA allies to “unequivocally distance themselves from acts of violence and intimidation perpetrated by ill-informed miscreants.” General Secretary Rev. Asir Ebenezer called upon the government to condemn attacks in the strongest possible terms and initiate decisive police action against those responsible. The council stated that clear and strong statements, coupled with prompt action from the highest authorities, would send an unambiguous message domestically and reassure the international community that India stands by its constitutional values.
The NCCI’s statement follows violent incidents during the Christmas season that prompted urgent appeals from major Christian bodies across India.
On December 23, 2025, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India expressed “deep anguish” over an “alarming rise in attacks on Christians in various states” during Christmas. The CBCI condemned targeted incidents, especially against peaceful carol singers and congregations gathered in churches, as gravely undermining India’s constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and the right to worship without fear.
The conference expressed particular shock over a viral video from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, where a visually challenged woman attending a Christmas programme was allegedly publicly abused and physically harassed by BJP City Vice President Anju Bhargava. The CBCI demanded Bhargava’s immediate dismissal from the party.
The statement also condemned the circulation of hate-filled digital posters in Chhattisgarh reportedly calling for a bandh on December 24, 2025 against Christians, which could inflame tensions and incite further violence. The conference urged both state governments and the Union Government to take urgent, visible action against all individuals and organisations spreading hatred and violence, and requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure strict law enforcement and proactive protection for Christian communities.
The Evangelical Fellowship of India had raised concerns earlier, on December 19, 2025, over continuing tension and violence in Amabeda village, Kanker district, Chhattisgarh. Following a burial dispute, three churches were burnt, homes were damaged, and several community members were assaulted, according to field reports cited by the EFI. Many families fled the area, abandoning homes and livelihoods, with several injured persons receiving treatment at Kanker Government Hospital.
The EFI noted that the administration exhumed the body of the father of Shri Rajman Salam, an elected sarpanch, and moved it elsewhere. Field reports indicated that families, including that of Pastor Moses Das whose house was burnt, remained at the police station, unable to return home safely. The organisation expressed concern over gram sabhas being convened across the region to mobilise opinion against Christians, risking deeper polarisation.
The EFI reported that some police personnel were injured during the unrest, calling it a matter of serious concern that underscored the need for timely, impartial policing. The organisation stated the matter had “gone beyond a local dispute” and raised serious concerns about public order, citizen safety, and the ability of vulnerable communities to live without fear.
The EFI wrote to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister urging urgent intervention to restore peace, ensure safety and rehabilitation of displaced families, prevent further mobilisation and violence, and uphold constitutional guarantees of life, dignity and freedom of belief. It appealed to state authorities to ensure Christians across Chhattisgarh could celebrate Christmas peacefully, stating that protecting safety and religious freedom during this sensitive period was essential to maintaining communal harmony and public trust.
The United Christian Forum, in a letter dated December 26, 2025, provided detailed documentation of incidents while thanking the Prime Minister for his Christmas visit and previous outreach efforts. The organisation recorded 706 incidents targeting Christians by November 2025, compared to 814 incidents throughout 2024. Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh emerged as leading states with 157 and 184 incidents respectively till November 2025.
The UCF highlighted particular concern over burial-related incidents, documenting 23 such cases in 2025, with 19 in Chhattisgarh and two in Jharkhand, compared to around 40 cases in 2024. In tribal regions, Christians are routinely denied burial space and forced to exhume their dead, with cases revealing coordinated intimidation, especially of women, the organisation stated.
The primary reason for attacks have been false allegations of fraudulent conversions, the UCF noted. The organisation cited concerns that freedom of religion laws, commonly known as anti-conversion laws now in effect in 12 Indian states, target religious minorities in practice. Though these laws claim to prevent coerced conversions, police regularly arrest Christians at the behest of groups who file third-party complaints rather than direct victims as required, the UCF stated.
The organisation presented several recommendations including an immediate call to stop violence against Christians, training on human rights and religious freedom for police and judiciary, advisory to state governments to repeal anti-conversion laws, ensuring active human rights and minorities commissions in every state, preventing and pursuing violent acts through judicial processes, increasing dialogue between religious leaders and civil society, ensuring adequate compensation for victims, and implementing recommendations to no longer use religion as a criterion for determining Scheduled Caste membership eligibility.
The NCCI expressed gratitude to individuals, communities, leaders and representatives from various political parties and organisations who stood in solidarity with Christians during these difficult times. The council reaffirmed the Christian community’s commitment to work alongside all citizens in building a united India, “resisting any attempt from any quarter to undermine the spirit of the nation or its cherished secular character.”
