Catholic nuns in India are reporting growing hostility and legal pressure as they continue their ministry, especially in areas ruled by Hindu nationalist-led governments.
In February, Sr. Sheela Savari Muthu, a nun with the Holy Spirit congregation, was charged by police in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, for allegedly violating the state’s anti-conversion law. The accusations came after she helped organise a health camp for children of domestic workers. Authorities claimed the event was an attempt to convert people to Christianity.
Twelve Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh, have laws that restrict religious conversions. These laws ban conversions through force, fraud, or inducement, and have increasingly been used against Christian communities. In Uttar Pradesh, violations can carry penalties of up to life in prison.
Following the charges, municipal authorities in Indore also demolished the building where Sr. Muthu’s office was located, claiming it was an illegal structure. Muthu said the property had been owned by her congregation for decades and had not been modified.
"We are being punished for acts of charity," said Muthu. “Helping others is now seen as suspicious.”
Other Catholic leaders across India have raised similar concerns. Sr. Elsa Muttathu, national secretary of the Conference of Religious India, said nuns and other Christian workers now face the constant risk of being falsely accused of forced conversions.
"Anything we do—whether in education, health care, or social work—can be labeled as religious conversion," said Muttathu.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India recently condemned an attack in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, where Hindu activists allegedly beat members of a Catholic pilgrimage group and church leaders.
Sr. Mary Scaria, a lawyer and member of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, said that several nuns have shared fears about wearing religious habits in public. Even carrying a Bible can be viewed with suspicion, she noted.
“These are signs of rising religious discrimination,” she said.
In June 2023, a nun and her family were arrested in Chhattisgarh for hosting a thanksgiving Mass, which local Hindu groups claimed was a conversion event. In another case, a 62-year-old nun was imprisoned for 40 days in Tamil Nadu after a student in her care died by suicide. Although the charges were eventually dropped, Hindu nationalist groups had accused the nun of pressuring the girl to convert.
The United Christian Forum, a group that monitors persecution, reported 55 cases of Christian persecution in January and 65 in February 2025 alone.
Despite these challenges, church leaders say they remain committed to serving the poor and marginalized, though with increased caution.
"Article 25 of India’s Constitution gives every citizen the right to choose and practice their religion," said Scaria. "But that freedom is now under threat."
This article is a rewritten version of a report published by National Catholic Reporter. The original article can be found here.
