Christian leaders and representatives from several faith communities have appealed to Mumbai police to take firm action against a growing number of disruptions to Christian prayer gatherings, warning that religious harmony in India's financial capital is under increasing pressure.
On 2 July, an interfaith delegation known as Mumbai for Peace met the city's Commissioner of Police and the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) to present a memorandum highlighting recent incidents targeting Christians.
The 24-member delegation included representatives from the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Jain communities. Among them was Fr Frazer Mascarenhas, a Jesuit priest, human rights advocate and former principal of St Xavier's College in Mumbai.
Fr Mascarenhas said the group expressed concern over a series of attacks and intimidation directed at Christian prayer meetings in a city that has long been recognised for its religious diversity and peaceful coexistence.
According to him, Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma assured the delegation that the police would take appropriate measures to uphold law and order.
Fr Mascarenhas said reports of threats against Christian prayer groups and pastors have increased since last year. He added that several complaints have already been submitted to the authorities regarding those responsible for the incidents.
Dolphy D'Souza, spokesperson for the Bombay Catholic Sabha, said the delegation also provided police with a copy of a leaflet that allegedly threatened to disrupt a Christian prayer gathering scheduled for 5 July in the Gamdevi area of Vakola.
According to local media reports, the warning was issued in the name of the Sakal Hindu Samaj, while two Hindu nationalist organisations, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing, Bajrang Dal, were also linked to the planned protest.
D'Souza said the Christian community was deeply concerned by what he described as open intimidation and warned that such threats should be addressed before they lead to further violence. He added that Christian organisations had documented eight separate incidents in June in which prayer meetings were reportedly disrupted by Hindu hardline activists across Mumbai.
The memorandum submitted to police also named several individuals accused of taking part in these incidents. Among them was Hindu activist Ankit Yadav, who was alleged to have led disruptions after accusing Christians of carrying out religious conversions and practising black magic.
D'Souza further claimed that police failed to intervene when a Christian gathering in Vasai, near Mumbai, was attacked on 12 June. He said worshippers were assaulted during the incident. Although a police case was later registered, he alleged that no arrests had been made.
Irfan Engineer, founder-trustee of the Mumbai-based Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, also expressed concern over the situation. He alleged that extremist Hindu groups, supported by political interests, were undermining the city's tradition of communal harmony by targeting religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims.
He further claimed that some militant groups operate with political backing and have increasingly directed hostility towards minority communities. In recent years, organisations commonly known as cow vigilante groups have been linked to attacks on Muslims in different parts of the country. Such groups claim to protect cows, which are regarded as sacred by many Hindus.
Christian leaders have called on the authorities to ensure that every citizen can worship freely and safely, while maintaining peace and respecting the rights guaranteed under India's Constitution.
Adapted and rewritten from a report by UCA News.
