Christmas Eve of 2024 has become a target for “hate mongering Hindutva-waadis” as they are the polar opposite of ‘love’ and ‘compassion’ that Christianity preaches.
On 25th December 2024 in Mahuva, Gujarat, members of VHP and Bajrang Dal disrupted the Christmas prayers by halting the service, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa also alleging that they have not got required permission for conducting prayers, as per a report in the Times of India.
A day after Christmas (26th December) in Odisha, two tribal women (in their forties) named Subhasini Singh and Sukanti Singh were beaten up and the mob smeared the cake which the women have alleged to have bought for celebrating the conversion of Gobind Singh onto one of the women’s face and raised slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Shri Ram”
The NCW has taken suo motu cognisance of a shocking media report from Balasore, Odisha, where two tribal women were tied to a tree and assaulted on suspicion of religious conversion. FIRs have reportedly been registered against both the women and their assaulters.
The Commission…
— NCW (@NCWIndia) December 30, 2024
VIDEO | Odisha: Here’s what Balasore SP Raj Prasad said on two women being beaten up by a mob over the allegation that they were attempting religious conversion of some tribal families.
“A counter case has been filed, there was an allegation of forced conversion. A senior level… pic.twitter.com/Ym3dK6tF9C
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 30, 2024
Odisha Congress spokesperson Amiya Pandab reacted to it by describing the incident as shameful and it’s the testimony to the deteriorating law and order situation in state. “What is even more shameful is that such atrocities are being committed against women, that too, tribal women who are among the most vulnerable. Remember the chief minister himself hails from the tribal community and so does the president of our country who comes from Mayurbhanj district”
The Wire reported that Latika Pradhan, a former MLA for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), said that the state’s BJP-led government was posing a greater threat to women and minorities, among other vulnerable groups. “Everywhere, they are constantly in danger. There is a statute in place to deal with individuals who engage in unlawful conversions. However, criminals shouldn’t be permitted to enforce the law on their own. Pradhan said that previous chief minister and current opposition leader Naveen Patnaik always supported secular ideals and went out of his way to safeguard minorities, saying, “This is vigilante justice, which is just not acceptable.”
As per a report in the New Indian Express, the National commission on women has taken suo moto cognizance of the incident. It has directed the DGP of the state to ensure fair investigation and to restore law and order in the state.
On December 27, in Uttar Pradesh, which has often been described as a hotspot for fascist and communal forces, members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal allegedly tonsured a Christian Dalit man, forcibly applied sandalwood paste and vermillion to his forehead, and paraded him through the village. They accused him of engaging in religious conversions, forcibly reconverted him to Hinduism, and raised slogans such as “Jesus Murdabad”.
On December 27, in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal forcibly shaved the head of a Christian Dalit man and paraded him through the village, accusing him of promoting religious conversions. They later forcibly converted him back to Hinduism at a temple,… pic.twitter.com/e8IFF7Ehr9
— The Observer Post (@TheObserverPost) December 29, 2024
Apart from these prominent incidences, one Mr. Afroz Alam Sahil in an article dated 28-12-2024 “Weaponization of Festivals in India: Attacks on Rise During Christmas” in Beyond Headlines captures the hate crimes against Christians happened during this Christmas season in almost 10 states: Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Burhanpur (Madya Pradesh), Etah (Uttar Pradesh), Fatehpur (Uttar Pradesh), Hydrabad (Telungana), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), Jaunpur (Rajasthan), Khasi Hills (Meghalaya), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Manipur, Mumbai (Maharashtra), Palakkad (Kerala), Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Rohtak (Haryana), Siddharthnagar (Uttar Pradesh), Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh), Surat (Gujarat), Tapi (Gujarat), Telungana, Thrissur (Kerala), Unnao (Uttar Pradesh)
Above incidents show that Muslims are not the only minority community facing persecution in India. Christians, who form 2.4% of the total population, are also caught in the venomous tentacles of Hindu extremists. On October 2, 2024, just two months prior to these mischiefs, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a report containing shocking revelations about religious freedom in India. In 2024 alone, there were 161 reported attacks on Christians, including assaults on churches and prayer meetings.
As per the USCIRF report, Hindu militants in Assam, targeted Catholic schools, demanding the removal of Christian symbols, such as the cross. The Modi government has also wielded draconian laws, like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), to target civil society organizations. Since 2012, over 20,000 NGOs—many of them religious—have had their licenses revoked under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). This law has been used as another instrument of repression. In 2024 alone, five significant Christian charities, including the Church of North India and the Evangelical Fellowship of India, saw their work drastically curtailed after losing their licenses. The USCIRF has urged the U.S. government to declare India a “country of particular concern” due to its persistent abuses of religious freedom. Such a designation would place India alongside nations like China and North Korea, potentially exposing it to sanctions.
Indian judiciary too at times encouraged these hate mongers thereby contributing to the unabated rise religious intolerance in India. One of such infamous attempts includes the quashing of criminal case against two individuals accused of shouting “Jai Shree Ram” slogans inside mosque, Karnataka High Court while dismissing the case recorded that mere chanting of “Jai Shree Ram” inside a mosque doesn’t outrage the religious feelings of that community, as reported in LiveLaw.
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