2018 a vandalized statue of the Virgin Mary in Bihabandh, India. (Credit: Father Albert Xess.)
Christians under attack in India While the Constitution of India enshrines Freedom of Religion as a Fundamental Right under Articles 25 to 30,2 however, India’s powerful right-wing organizations; Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal, and RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, believe in the idea of one religion-one nation based on the concept of Hindutva. They even use the Christian contribution to healthcare, education, social services, to fuel hate against Christians. They have fuelled a pernicious propaganda that Hindus are being ‘forcibly converted’ to Christianity, and must be stopped, either by force, or changing India’s laws.3 A recent report titled, Hate and Targeted Violence against Christians in India, prepared by the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) stated that the attacks had increased in the first six months of 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown.4
arm of the law, especially when it comes to attacks against the minorities and India’s marginalized sections. Christians have borne the attack of the political Hindutva right wing since 1998- 99.5 This was also the period of the first BJP dominated NDA I government.6 A selective census of Christians that went against the Indian Constitution was begun in the state of Gujarat.7 One of the most ghastly incidents was the burning alive of Australian missionary, Graham Staines and his two sons in January 1999, in the eastern state of Odisha.8 The killer of Staines, was Bajrang Dal member than Dara Singh who had also been charged in the murder of Muslim trader, Shaikh Rahman in Mayurbhanj district of the state and also convicted in the murder of a Christian priest, Dr Arul Das in Odisha. Singh was arrested after a yearlong chase in January 2000 after the murder of Graham Staines and is now serving his life sentence in prison.9
A culture of impunity pervades with Thereafter, one of the most systemic powerful perpetrators escaping the long and targeted attacks against Christians
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