Kochi: Chevalier Adv. V.C. Sebastian, Secretary of the Laity Council of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, strongly criticized the persistent indifference of government bodies towards the escalating assaults on Christians across India. He pointed out that these acts, often carried out by radical elements under the guise of enforcing anti-conversion laws, are occurring unchecked in several states.

He warned that both political and bureaucratic leaderships must not allow fringe groups to operate with impunity, seemingly emboldened by administrative silence or complicity. “It is a direct affront to the Indian Constitution when those behind the violent attack on Christian pilgrims in Jabalpur are shielded instead of prosecuted,” Sebastian said.

Since 2014, the frequency of such incidents has seen a troubling rise, with Madhya Pradesh becoming a hotspot where hostility against Christians is nearly routine. He cited a recent incident in Odisha’s Berhampur diocese, where a church was vandalized with the apparent backing of local police. In another instance, a nun heading the Holy Cross Nursing College in Kunkuri, Chhattisgarh, was falsely accused of forced conversion.

“Even children and women are being unlawfully detained, tortured, and denied due process,” Sebastian noted, condemning these actions as not only human rights violations but also an open challenge to the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. He urged the central government to intervene urgently and uphold the secular fabric of the nation by safeguarding minority rights.