New Delhi – Christian women leaders, along with religious heads and community representatives, have submitted an urgent appeal by email to President Draupadi Murmu highlighting the escalating persecution of Christian women across multiple states in India.
The appeal focuses attention on a recent incident in Chhattisgarh where Kunika Kashyap, a six-month pregnant Tribal woman, suffered a miscarriage after being attacked for her Christian faith. The incident occurred on January 2, 2025, when she was assaulted by the village headman and his family members for praying for a sick relative.
The letter documents numerous cases of violence against Christian women across several states:
- In Chhattisgarh: Multiple incidents of physical violence, including killings and false accusations leading to judicial remand
- In Jharkhand: Cases of ostracism, isolation, and forced religious conversions
- In Manipur: Ongoing crisis since May 2023, with documented cases of murder, sexual violence, and displacement
- In Punjab and Tamil Nadu: Reports of forced sex work, family abuse, and community ostracism
The appeal emphasizes that these attacks represent a deliberate campaign of persecution that threatens both religious freedom and constitutional rights. The signatories have requested the President’s intervention to ensure:
- Prompt investigation of all reported cases
- Protection for vulnerable Christian women
- Action against perpetrators
- Implementation of constitutional safeguards
Prominent signatories include Mrs. Tingneviah Lotzem, Virginia Saldanha (Indian Women Theologians’ Forum), Dr. Anitha Chettiar (Institute of Social Service), Dr. Vandana Benjamin (National Women’s President, Alpha Omega Christian Mahasangh), Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ (Human Rights and Peace Activist/Writer), Dr. John Dayal (Former Member, Prime Minister National Integration Council), Rev. Dr. Richard Howell (Chairman, Evangelical Church of God), Bishop Akhilesh Edgar (General Secretary, Council of Evangelical Churches in India), and Rev. Vijayesh Lal (General Secretary, Evangelical Fellowship of India), among other distinguished leaders. The appeal has been endorsed by over 460 Christian leaders, community members, and civil society representatives from across the nation.
“These systematic attacks demonstrate an alarming pattern of targeted violence that threatens our community’s existence. This cannot be dismissed as merely an ethnic conflict – the coordinated destruction of religious institutions and organized attacks on Christians reveals a deliberate campaign of persecution that strikes at the heart of our constitutional guarantees of religious freedom,” the appeal states.
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Tensions rise as Chhattisgarh sees frequent attacks on Christians