Christians in India suffered high levels of violence and discrimination in 2024, with 640 cases marking a continued increase over prior years, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission (EFIRLC).
The 640 incidents compared with 601 cases documented in 2023 and marked nearly a quadrupling of incidents from the 147 incidents recorded in 2014, continuing a decade-long trend of mounting hostility toward the religious minority constituting 2.3 percent of India’s population.
“The systematic and organized persecution of Christians has risen to crisis levels in several states,” the Rev. Vijayesh Lal, EFI general secretary, told Morning Star News. “What most concerns us is that on average, four to five churches or pastors are attacked every day, with attacks coming close to doubling every Sunday when believers come to worship.”
The EFIRLC report, “Faith at Risk: Examining Violence and Discrimination Against Christians in India (2024),” found Uttar Pradesh state remained the hotspot of persecution with 188 incidents, followed by the states of Chhattisgarh (150), Rajasthan (40), Punjab (38), and Haryana (34).
“We’re not asking for special treatment but for the religious freedom guarantees under the constitution to be enforced on an even-handed basis,” said Lal. “All Indians must be able to practice their faith without violence and intimidation. We urge all state governments to enforce the rule of law and bring offenders of religious violence to justice whoever they are or from whatever religious and political background they belong to.”
Patterns of Persecution
Besides the murders of four Christians last year, the EFIRLC documented 255 incidents of threats and harassment, 129 incidents of arrests, 76 of physical violence, 60 relating to gender-based violence, 46 incidents of disruption of worship services and 41 pertaining to vandalism as the most frequent types of persecution.
January saw the highest number of incidents (71), followed by September (68), March (64), and October (62). Despite general elections in April and May, which might have prompted restraint, persecution continued with 45 reported cases in each month.
On Feb. 12, 2024 in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh state, villagers threatened the family of Aaytu Podiyami and demanded they renounce their Christian faith twice within a week. The village council then summoned them and delivered an ultimatum: abandon Christianity or face consequences. When the Christians refused, villagers brutally beat them, causing serious injuries to Aaytu’s father that required hospitalization. The attack forced the family to flee their village and resettle elsewhere as manual laborers.
On May 4 in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, a mob killed 22-year-old Kosa Kawasi in front of his wife for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. Weeks earlier, he had reported death threats to the police, but they ignored his plea.
The attack began after villagers barred Christian families from a tribal festival. About 20 people, including Kawasi’s uncle and cousin, stormed his home, demanding he abandon his faith. When he refused, they beat him with wooden sticks, then stabbed him and struck him with an axe. His wife escaped after being assaulted.
That same day, five other Christian families fled to save their lives.
Regional Hotspots
Uttar Pradesh remained the epicenter of anti-Christian incidents, with pastors and other Christians frequently arrested over accusations of forced conversions.
Police detained Christians after prayer meetings, family gatherings, and celebrations, usually without credible evidence. The report highlighted multiple cases of arrests disrupting religious activities and instilling fear in communities.
On March 24, in Jamui village, Maharajganj District, a mob of extremists disrupted a Palm Sunday evening fellowship where Pastor Shailesh Kumar was present. The attackers issued threats before turning violent, severely beating those gathered. Pastor Kumar suffered serious head injuries, requiring hospitalization. As his condition worsened, he was later transferred to a medical college in Gorakhpur for further treatment.
On Oct. 3 in Gaddopur village, Tehsil Kernal Ganj, Gonda District, four attackers stormed a prayer gathering where Man Singh and six villagers had assembled. The mob violently assaulted them, forcibly dragging them 200 meters away before continuing the attack.
The assailants seized their belongings, including phones and a Bible. Man Singh suffered multiple injuries, including partial hearing loss. When police arrived, they did not intervene. Instead, they reportedly joined the attackers, detaining the victims until midnight before releasing them with warnings against holding future prayer meetings.
In Chhattisgarh, extremist groups targeted tribal Christians through physical violence, social boycotts and denial of basic resources and burial rights to pressure them to abandon their faith.
In June, a relative murdered 32-year-old Bindu Sodi in Dantewada District, Chhattisgarh state with axe blows and stones over a land dispute fueled by discrimination against Christians. Since Sodi and her family had converted to Christianity a few years prior, her relatives had been claiming that they had no right to ancestral property and had denied them access to it. Police later pressured the family to bury her 19 miles away to prevent sectarian unrest, declining to recognize the religious motive of the crime.
In Punjab state, which recorded 38 incidents, 11 took place during Christmas alone. On Dec. 25 in Firozpur District, a group attacked a pastor identified only as Vijay and his congregation while they were preparing for a Christmas program. Earlier, on April 18 in Sultanwind village, Amritsar District, a pastor identified only as Gurjeet and his brother Gurdeep were assaulted by their neighbor, Avtar Singh Nihang, following a dispute over Pastor Gurjeet’s faith.
Nihang attacked Gurdeep with a Kirpan, a ceremonial Sikh dagger, injuring his head and limbs, while Pastor Gurjeet sustained injuries to his toes and fingers. When they sought medical care, a doctor reportedly refused to treat them.
The EFIRLC report also detailed a case from May 5 in Bihar’s Sipah village, where extremists locked Christians inside a church building during a service, assaulted worshippers and falsely accused them of forced conversion. Police detained four individuals before releasing them later that evening. It was the second attack on the same church in just three months.
Tool of Harassment
The EFIRLC report identified the misuse of anti-conversion laws as one of the primary drivers of persecution.
“These laws, legally known as Freedom of Religion laws, have been misused to restrict freedom of religion of the minority Christian community,” a leader from Uttar Pradesh told Morning Star News on condition of anonymity.
The Uttar Pradesh government strengthened its anti-conversion law in 2024, amending the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 to increase penalties and make offenses non-bailable, with certain violations now carrying sentences of up to life imprisonment.
A critical change in the legislation now allows “any person” – not just victims or their relatives – to file complaints for alleged violations. Hindu nationalist groups have exploited this provision to file increasing numbers of cases against Christians throughout the state. This has given rise to a climate of fear and suspicion around Christian worship.
“There are over 60 Christians who are currently in jail because of the provisions of this law,” said the leader.
The report mentions an incident that took place on Dec. 27 in Fatehpur District, wherein a mob assaulted Pastor Shivbaran Paswan, forcibly shaved him and paraded him through his village. Instead of protecting him, police charged him under the state’s anti-conversion law.
On Oct. 20 a Hindu nationalist mob in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh disrupted Pastor Biju Mathew’s worship service and beat him. Police initially took him and his wife to the station but released them. On Oct. 26, however, authorities arrested Pastor Mathew under the Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law.
As of February he remained in prison while his wife Rini cares for their two school-age daughters. Within two weeks of his imprisonment, Hindu groups claimed they “re-converted” 30 families from his church to Hinduism, and local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders issued provocative statements and warnings against conversions.
“These cases often force the accused to bear the burden of proof,” the report notes, “making legal defense extremely difficult even when allegations are entirely fabricated.”
Anti-conversion laws are in force in 11 states, with more states pursuing similar legislation. The BJP government in Rajasthan recently passed an anti-conversion bill awaiting implementation, while in Arunachal Pradesh, officials have begun reviving their dormant anti-conversion law from 1978. The Arunachal Pradesh government has started formulating rules to enforce this long-inactive legislation.
Growing Crisis
By the end of 2024, 400 Christian leaders united to issue a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condemning the targeting of Christians during the Christmas season and appealing for an end to the surge in violence.
“It saddens us deeply that almost all political leaders from the highest [levels] in the Union government and the states have chosen not to condemn them,” stated their Dec. 31 letter. “Rising hate speech, especially from elected officials, has emboldened acts of violence against Christians.”
The EFIRLC emphasized that the 640 verified cases likely represent only a fraction of actual incidents, as many victims fear reporting attacks due to concerns about police inaction, intimidation or retaliation.
“The climate of fear prevents many Christians from seeking justice,” Lal said. “Even when victims register cases, the process often results in delays, acquittals, or, most disturbingly, the wrongful imprisonment of victims instead of perpetrators.”
Call for Action
The Evangelical Fellowship of India urged authorities to protect at-risk Christian communities, hold extremist groups accountable, stop the misuse of anti-conversion laws, strengthen legal safeguards for victims and ensure fair, unbiased legal proceedings for religious minorities.
“India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and the right to live without fear of persecution,” Lal said. “These freedoms are not just legal principles but the very foundation of our diverse and pluralistic society. We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure these rights protect every Indian citizen regardless of their faith tradition.”
India ranked 11th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The country was 31st in 2013, but its position has steadily worsened over the past decade.
Religious Freedom advocates note that the hostile tone of the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist BJP, against non-Hindus, has emboldened Hindu extremists in several parts of the country to attack Christians since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in May 2014.
