India, often celebrated for its religious pluralism, has over recent decades become a deeply concerning landscape for targeted violence against Christians. These attacks form a recurring pattern ranging from vandalism and assault to arson, sexual violence, and murder. Churches have been burned, prayer services disrupted, and clergy attacked. Allegations of forced conversions have frequently been used as a pretext to criminalize Christian activities. Despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, enforcement has been inconsistent, and allegations of political complicity persist. This article traces the timeline, legal context, and political implications of this violence up to June 13, 2025.
The period from 1998 to 1999 marked a grim escalation of anti-Christian violence across India. In Maharashtra, Christian-run institutions were attacked under accusations of spreading foreign religious influence. In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, churches were desecrated, religious symbols vandalized, and worshippers assaulted. The most shocking incident was the January 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his sons, who were burned alive in Odisha while serving leprosy patients. Although the CBI and the Wadhwa Commission investigated the case, they avoided assigning institutional blame, prompting criticism from rights groups. Later that year, the murder of Rev. Arul Dass and the gang rape of four Catholic nuns in Madhya Pradesh further deepened the sense of impunity, worsened by initial administrative inaction.
The 2008 violence in Odisha’s Kandhamal district marked one of the bloodiest episodes in India's recent history of religious conflict. Over 100 Christians were killed, hundreds of churches destroyed, and more than 50,000 people displaced. The trauma of the region still lingers. Between 2013 and 2019, similar patterns emerged in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, where Christian communities were increasingly targeted under anti-conversion rhetoric. Attacks on Sunday worship, church vandalism, and unlawful arrests of pastors became distressingly common. These actions were often portrayed as cultural defense, with Christianity depicted as alien. State responses were largely inadequate.
The early 2020s witnessed further polarization. Contrary to hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic would calm tensions, attacks continued. In Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, prayer gatherings were routinely raided, pastors arrested under anti-conversion laws, and believers harassed. In 2023 and 2024, violence reached new heights in Manipur, where ethnic conflict led to the destruction of over 250 churches and the deaths of more than 200 people, most of them Christians from tribal communities. The devastation caused mass displacement and received international condemnation, particularly over the delayed state response. By year’s end, it was clear that the Manipur violence stood as one of the worst acts of religious persecution in modern Indian history.
From January to mid-June 2025, more than 950 cases of Christian persecution were reported across India. These included assaults, church desecration, arson, and arbitrary arrests. A particularly horrific attack occurred in Chhattisgarh, where 90-year-old Fr. Leenus and his associate Fr. Silvi were brutally beaten. The incident ignited protests in Kerala, where church associations demanded urgent action. In Odisha, the legacy of the Graham Staines case resurfaced when two of his convicted killers Chengu and Mahendra Hembram publicly converted to Christianity while expressing remorse. Their transformation highlighted the contrast between state inaction and individual accountability. By June 2025, watchdogs reported an average of more than two anti-Christian attacks per day.
India’s Constitution provides robust protection for religious freedom. Articles 25–30 guarantee freedom of religion and minority rights, while Articles 14–16 prohibit religious discrimination. Sections 153A, 295A, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code address incitement and religious hatred. Additional laws like the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, and the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, offer further protections. However, in practice, enforcement remains inadequate. Victims often fear retaliation, and police indifference discourages reporting. Courts have shown hesitance in addressing communal violence; notably, the Chhattisgarh High Court in 2025 dismissed a plea for a Special Investigation Team into tribal Christian attacks, sparking civil society backlash.
Currently, 11 Indian states have anti-conversion laws that criminalize conversions through force, fraud, or inducement. The vague language of these laws invites misuse. Christians running educational or humanitarian institutions are often accused of coercive conversions. Pastors have been arrested during services, and even interfaith couples face criminal charges. Though acquittals are common, the process itself serves as punishment, fostering fear and curbing religious expression. India is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects religious freedom under Article 18. The ICCPR also prohibits religious discrimination and safeguards minority rights. The UN Declaration on the Elimination of Religious Intolerance, though non-binding, offers moral guidance.
Despite these commitments, India has faced repeated criticism. The U.S. State Department and USCIRF have consistently flagged rising anti-Christian violence. In 2024, the global response to the Manipur violence spotlighted India’s failure to uphold international norms, with images of burning churches serving as chilling reminders of state inaction. In recent years, national discourse has increasingly cast Christians as outsiders or agents of forced conversion. Political leaders have spoken of “conversion mafias,” emboldening vigilante groups. While some leaders have condemned specific incidents, others have remained silent or defended violence as retaliation for alleged conversions. This has further polarized communities and fueled misinformation.
Election seasons often see a spike in communal rhetoric, with parties leveraging religious divisions for electoral gain. These narratives normalize discrimination and embolden those who perpetrate violence under the pretext of nationalism. Despite the risks, Christian groups and civil society continue to resist. In June 2025, the Kerala Latin Catholic Association led protests demanding federal intervention. The public conversions of former Graham Staines case convicts into Christianity sent a message of reconciliation, offering a stark moral contrast to ongoing violence. This resistance has rekindled public debate over secularism and the Indian state’s responsibility to protect its minorities.
The ongoing attacks on Christians in India represent more than a human rights crisis they test the integrity of India’s democratic and secular ideals. From the 1999 Staines murder to the 2023 Manipur carnage, the Christian community has endured fear, marginalization, and injustice. While India’s legal and constitutional framework guarantees religious freedom, the lived experiences of Christians expose a stark gap between principle and practice. Without immediate reforms, impartial enforcement of laws, and a cultural shift toward tolerance, India risks undermining the foundational values of its republic.