The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has issued a controversial appeal asking Hindus to boycott Christmas celebrations, targeting not only individuals but also shopkeepers, shopping malls and schools that observe the Christian festival.
The VHP’s Indraprasth province minister Surendra Gupta issued the statement on 13 December, urging Hindus to avoid celebrating Christmas in any form, citing what the organisation termed “cultural vigilance.”
The organisation’s statement claims that organised conversion efforts have been active across the country, and that Hindu participation in other religions’ festivals could lend social acceptance to such activities. Gupta framed the appeal as necessary to protect what he termed the cultural continuity of Hindu society.
The VHP has specifically called on Hindus to reconsider purchasing from Hindu-owned shops that display Christmas greetings, describing such practices as promoting “cultural confusion and self-deprecation.” The organisation announced plans to send its appeal letter to shopping mall authorities and school principals where Christmas is celebrated or decorations bearing Christmas greetings are displayed, even in institutions attended by Hindu students.
When questioned whether the appeal violated religious freedom, Gupta insisted it was about preventing conversion. “Christian missionaries misuse our liberal sentiment and carry out conversions,” he told The Wire Hindi, demanding that churches publicly declare they would cease conversion activities in India before being allowed to celebrate freely.
Gupta also justified the targeting of businesses and schools, stating, “We have the right to protect our society.” He suggested that if churches made such declarations, “then do whatever you want, what’s the problem?”
Devraj Baweja, president of the Delhi Trade Federation, expressed support for the VHP’s position. When asked whether his organisation would request shopkeepers not to display Christmas greetings or sell Christmas items, Baweja said the federation would discuss the matter in a meeting, adding, “There’s no harm in making such an appeal.” He stated, “We are proud of our culture. We should promote our culture rather than adopting others’. Christians should adopt their own. Hindus should adopt their own.”
Supreme Court advocate Shahrukh Alam strongly condemned the appeal as contrary to constitutional principles. “This is not a matter of dissent or protest, but is based on cultural demarcation and exclusion, which is contrary to the moral principle of fraternity enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution,” she told The Wire Hindi.
Alam emphasised that such statements from powerful organisations create tangible harm. “Even if it is not accompanied by any direct or overt coercion, when such exclusionary advice comes from a politically and socially dominant organisation, it has the effect of creating de facto exclusion. Therefore, it violates constitutional values,” she said. She added that when such appeals become coercive or are coupled with vigilantism, they certainly become criminal acts.
Historian and former Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam, speaking to The Wire Hindi, cited the VHP’s history of anti-Christian actions. He referenced a 1997 incident in Dangs, Gujarat, where the VHP, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch allegedly prevented Christmas celebrations, burnt churches and took over Christian schools.
Islam questioned the rationale behind the VHP’s position, noting that millions of Indians live in Christian-majority nations where they freely celebrate their festivals. “The biggest temple outside India is in Chicago, where the majority population is Christian. The second biggest temple is in Abu Dhabi, which is a Muslim country,” he said, adding sarcastically that the VHP should ask all Indians to leave Western countries since Christians live there.
The appeal comes amid a sharp rise in violence against India’s Christian community. Data compiled by the United Christian Forum documents 4,959 incidents targeting Christians over the past decade, with attacks surging from 139 cases in 2014 to 834 in 2024, marking a 500 per cent increase.
AC Michael, convenor of the United Christian Forum, told Union of Catholic Asia News that repeated appeals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the National Commission for Minorities have yielded no results. On 29 November, approximately 3,500 Christians assembled near Parliament, protesting what they termed the central government’s failure to address mounting violence and discrimination. Michael noted a consistent pattern across incidents, involving threats, coercion and violence by vigilante groups associated with religious extremists.
Christians number approximately 2.78 crore, representing 2.3 per cent of India’s population based on 2011 census figures. In Delhi alone, the Christian population exceeds 1.5 lakh.
While the VHP maintains its appeal aims for “peaceful cultural awakening” rather than confrontation, critics argue that such directives seek to regulate social behaviour along religious lines and deepen divisions in India’s multi-religious society.
