Around 1,500 Christians from 14 to 15 states converged at Jantar Mantar on 29 November to voice concerns over a sharp rise in targeted violence and systematic discrimination against the minority community. The National Christian Convention, themed “Towards a Self-Reliant, Progressive, and United India”, drew participants from over 200 denominations and churches, though the turnout fell short of the 5,000 expected.
The gathering was strategically organised during the ongoing Parliament session to draw the government’s attention to what community leaders say is an alarming escalation in attacks. According to data presented at the convention, incidents of violence against Christians surged from 139 cases in 2014 to 834 in 2024, marking a 500 per cent increase over a decade. The United Christian Forum recorded 834 incidents in 2024 alone, compared to 734 in 2023. In 2025, 508 incidents have been recorded till August.
G P Perumal, State Secretary of Akhila Bharath Cristha Mahasabha (ABCM), Karnataka, who was in Delhi to attend the convention along with Prajwal Swamy, the President of ABCM, spoke to Christian Today about his hopes from the event. “We hope that this convention and the issues raised here will attract the attention of the government. Today we witness persecution in almost every state of India, it has become very common. But the government is ignoring the issue. We are also citizens of India and are only asking for constitutional freedoms guaranteed for all citizens of India,” he said.
Bishops, church leaders, human rights activists and politicians addressed the gathering. Twenty-two Christian Members of Parliament from various political parties extended support to the convention. The organisers plan to submit a memorandum titled “The Delhi Declaration 2025” to the Prime Minister, President, Home Minister, Chief Justice of India and Minister for Minority Affairs outlining the community’s grievances and demands.
Dr Michael Williams, National Coordinator of the United Christian Forum and the All India Catholic Union, said the convention focused on “the problem, the promise, the price, and the pathway” for India’s Christians. The gathering highlighted multiple issues, including denial of burial rights to deceased Christians in tribal areas, forced exhumations, and sexual violence against Christian women in states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand.
The memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted disturbing incidents in tribal regions where Christians are routinely denied burial space and forced to exhume their dead. Cases cited included the exhumation of Chaitibai in Krutola village and the Supreme Court appeal following the denial of burial to Ramesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh. The document noted that incidents of sexual humiliation, forced stripping and attacks on pregnant women reveal how religious persecution intersects with gendered violence.
Totalling 4,595 cases across the decade, nearly 77 per cent occurred in just five states: Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 1,317 cases, followed by Chhattisgarh with 926 cases.
Speaking to Christian Today, Advocate Pramod Singh, President of Christian Legal Association, said, “This convention serves as a call for unity and united action, raising crucial awareness about our situation. However, I hold no expectations that the government will address Christian persecution. Their track record reveals a deliberate agenda that they continue to pursue, showing complete indifference to the persecution Christians face. The mainstream media has also abandoned this cause. We have witnessed how media houses, including international outlets, face harassment when they dare to report on these issues. The rule of law has deteriorated significantly. Rights are being eroded not just for minorities but for everyone, yet like the proverbial frog in boiling water, most remain unaware.”
A major demand put forward was the inclusion of Dalit Christians in the Scheduled Caste category. The Presidential Order of 1950 currently excludes Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin from SC benefits, denying an estimated eight to 10 million Dalit Christians access to education, employment and welfare schemes.
Speakers also raised concerns about anti-conversion laws in several states, which organisers claim are being misused to file false cases against Christians. Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were identified as hotspots for such incidents. Between January and September 2025, while 579 incidents were recorded across India, only 39 First Information Reports were filed, reflecting what organisers called a 93 per cent gap in justice.
The vulnerability of tribal Christians emerged as a recurring theme throughout the convention. In the first nine months of 2025, 22 Dalits, 16 women and 15 tribal Christians were among the victims of targeted attacks, according to data shared at the gathering.
The convention put forward recommendations calling for the repeal of all state-level Freedom of Religion Acts that criminalise conversion through vague or arbitrary terms like “allurement” or “coercion”. In the interim, organisers demanded that the government issue an advisory to all state governments to ensure safeguards are introduced so these laws are not misused to file false or frivolous cases against religious minorities.
The recommendations called for the Ministry of Home Affairs to table a report in Parliament addressing the rising incidents of targeted violence and institutional discrimination against Christians, and to issue advisories to all state governments mandating immediate police protection for religious minorities under threat, especially in violence-prone districts.
The Delhi Declaration demanded the establishment of religious minority protection cells at the district level with a clear mandate, hotline access and mandatory monthly reporting to state and central authorities on threats received, action taken and pending cases. It also called for departmental action against police personnel who fail to prevent or respond to violence against religious minorities.
Among the key demands was the introduction of legislation to delink SC status from religion, as recommended by the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities in 2007, enabling Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims to access constitutionally guaranteed protections.
The convention also called for an independent oversight mechanism, possibly through the National Human Rights Commission or a Joint Parliamentary Committee, to monitor trials under anti-conversion laws, ensure due process and consider live-streaming or third-party observation of proceedings to uphold judicial transparency.
Organisers demanded that the Bureau of Police Research and Development and the National Judicial Academy incorporate training on the rights of religious minorities and international human rights standards into all induction and refresher programmes, with special emphasis on preventing targeted violence and safeguarding against false and malicious prosecutions.
Specific to Chhattisgarh and Manipur, the recommendations called for a time-bound compensation and rehabilitation plan for displaced tribal Christians, including land restitution, rebuilding of homes and livelihood support.
The organisers also demanded amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, to restore access to foreign funds for registered religious charities by removing restrictions that equate religious identity with national security risks.
Prominent speakers at the convention included Justice F I Rebello, former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court and Bombay High Court judge, who addressed legal aspects of Christians’ rights. Archbishop Anil J T Couto of Delhi and Bishop Paul Swarup of the Delhi Diocese of the Church of North India also spoke at the gathering, along with veteran human rights activist and journalist Dr John Dayal, Evangelical Fellowship of India General Secretary Rev Vijayesh Lal, Caleb Institute President Rev Dr Richard Howell, and Chhattisgarh Christian Forum President Arun Pannalal.
Other speakers included activist Annie Raja, independent writer and scholar Cynthia Stephen, human rights activist and academic Dr Goldy M George, human rights activist and journalist Fr Cedric Prakash SJ, and Acharya Sushil Maharaj, National President of Bhartiya Sarva Dharma Sansad, who spoke on inter-religious dialogue. The Caleb Choir presented hymns during the gathering.
The memorandum emphasised the constitutional protection of freedom of conscience and the right to practise and profess one’s religion. It referenced the Supreme Court’s repeated affirmations that “religious tolerance and equal treatment of all religious groups and protections of their life and property and the places of worship are an essential part of secularism enshrined in our Constitution”.
Organisers highlighted the contribution of Christian institutions to Indian society, noting that over 40 per cent of educated Indians have studied in Christian schools and over 30 per cent have received healthcare in mission hospitals. The memorandum noted that patients with leprosy and HIV AIDS have found homes in church-run health centres, thousands of orphans have found shelter in Christian orphanages, and citizens continue to access these lifesaving services.
It stated: “The future of India as a nation depends on our ability to persevere in protecting and promoting the vision of an inclusive India as laid out in the Constitution.” It appealed for intervention to ensure “the smooth enjoyment of the freedoms and rights guaranteed so that in true spirit all may experience sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, sab ka vishwas”.
The previous such convention held in February 2023 drew an estimated 20,000 participants and marked the first such large-scale gathering after nearly two decades. Today’s gathering was organised by a National Advisory Council comprising over 100 representatives from each Indian state, with assistance from the Delhi-NCR Local Organizing Committee.
The convention was held against the backdrop of what organisers describe as an atmosphere of increasing hostility. A primary reason cited for attacks on people during prayers or their arrest by local police has been false allegations of fraudulent conversions, with Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh particularly affected.
The memorandum noted that despite egregious violations of basic human rights of Christian citizens, the police and administration have failed to take necessary action against violent mobs attacking Christians. Only a few cases have seen complaints registered by the police and members of the mob arrested, the organisers said.
“What concerns me most is not just the rising number of incidents against Christians, but the increasing toxicity,” said Singh. He said that a poisonous narrative was being spread against Christians, creating deep divisions in society. “Brotherhood and harmony are being destroyed, and our society is fragmenting. When did we last hear anyone speak of national integration? Instead, we see machismo, constant threats and pressure on those who dare to exercise their constitutional rights. I know churches in Noida that are already planning to relocate to Delhi. I know churches in Mathura where congregations pray simply for two hours of peace to worship without being attacked. If this continues, we may not be far from the days of underground churches in India,” he added.
India’s Christian population comprises approximately 2.3 per cent of the country’s 1.4 billion people. The community has increasingly voiced concerns about religious freedom and safety, particularly since the passage of anti-conversion laws in 12 of India’s 28 states.
