Kolkata: A Christian organisation in West Bengal has sought government intervention after alleging 26 cases of attacks, intimidation and harassment involving Christians, churches and prayer gatherings across the state over the past three months.
The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba submitted a memorandum to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on September 17, seeking prompt investigations, protection for vulnerable churches and prayer halls, and action to ensure that complaints are properly registered.
The organisation says 11 of the 26 reported cases resulted in the registration of First Information Reports. It also claims that some victims were discouraged or blocked from filing complaints. The figure of 26 is based on the organisation's own assessment and has not been independently established as an official state wide figure.
Several incidents involving Christian prayer gatherings have been reported in different parts of West Bengal in recent weeks.
On September 13, a prayer meeting at a private home in Dantan in Paschim Medinipur was reportedly disrupted by a group of people. The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba alleged that worshippers were assaulted and that a woman, Chumki Singh, was taken away before police intervened. Reports on the police complaint and FIR status in the case have differed.
On September 18, a Christian family in Amta in Howrah district alleged that people entered their home during a private prayer meeting and pressured them to renounce Christianity. The family also alleged that they were threatened with eviction and that the group returned the following night. The family said it had filed a police complaint.
Two more alleged incidents were reported on September 20 in Barrackpore and Khejuri. The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba alleged that a prayer gathering in Mohanpur, Barrackpore, was disrupted by a large group and that worshippers were assaulted and religious materials were damaged.
The organisation also alleged that a group entered Dekhali Church and Mission in Khejuri during a prayer service, where Pastor Chintamoni Midde was allegedly assaulted and worshippers were threatened. The police response and complaint status in these latest cases have not been fully established publicly.
Earlier incidents provide additional context. On August 23, a prayer meeting in a rented house in Uluberia, Howrah, was disrupted by a group that accused those attending the meeting of forced religious conversion. Pastor Mithun Hazra said members of the gathering were assaulted and the premises were damaged. Howrah Rural Superintendent of Police Amit Verma confirmed that a complaint had been received and that an FIR had been registered. He said an investigation was continuing.
Other incidents have also been reported in Purba Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and other districts. These include allegations involving a disrupted burial, attacks on prayer meetings and vandalism at a church under construction.
The burial incident in Purba Bardhaman remains disputed. Christian representatives alleged that a body was removed from a grave during a burial dispute. Police said there was a dispute over whether the land was an authorised cemetery and that the matter was being examined. The body was later buried at another location.
The Christian organisation has described the incidents as part of a wider pattern of insecurity. It has asked for an urgent meeting with the chief minister and protection for churches, prayer halls and Christian institutions.
West Bengal Minister for Tribal Development and Minority Affairs Kshudiram Tudu has said that people have the right to practise their religion. He said the government does not support interference with personal religious beliefs. He also said that allegations of forced conversion would be dealt with according to law.
The issue is also linked to a wider political debate over religious conversion in West Bengal. Adhikari has announced plans to introduce legislation to prevent forced religious conversion. The proposed legislation has not yet changed the right of people to conduct peaceful religious worship.
BJP leader Amit Malviya has rejected the description of the incidents as a systematic campaign against Christians, saying some cases involved local objections to prayer gatherings.
The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba, however, says the reported incidents have created fear among members of the Christian community and is calling for stronger protection and impartial investigations.
Available reports show that several disputes and alleged attacks involving Christian gatherings have been reported, with at least some cases resulting in police complaints and FIRs. However, the wider claim that all 26 reported cases constitute a coordinated or systematic campaign has not been independently established.
The immediate issue is how the authorities respond to complaints involving religious worship, allegations of forced conversion and reported violence or intimidation.