Alarm as Hindu vigilante groups target Christmas celebrations in India

Christian and human rights organisations have sounded alarm over alleged attempts by Hindu far-right groups to disrupt Christmas celebrations in India, amid a series of attacks targeting members of the minority community.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India said it “unequivocally condemned” what it described as an “alarming” rise in targeted attacks on Christians across the majority Hindu country.

The organisation said it had recorded several incidents involving the harassment of carol singers, congregations, and church gatherings.

Human rights organisations also accused Hindu vigilantes of vandalising churches, ransacking Christmas decorations and threatening people celebrating Christmas at multiple places.

Christian watchdog Open Doors said it had recorded over 60 alleged attacks targeting Christians across India during the Christmas period.

A video from Jabalpur in the central state of Madhya Pradesh showed Anju Bhargava, identified as a local leader of prime minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party, harassing and assaulting a visually impaired Christian woman attending a Christmas programme.

The video caused outrage, with the opposition Congress party describing it as an example of “cruelty and insensitivity”.

The outrage led the Jabalpur chapter of the BJP to issue a notice to Ms Bhargava, seeking an explanation for her actions.

“We have asked Anju Bhargava to explain her conduct as seen in the video,” the party’s local head Rakesh Sonkar said. “She has been given seven days to submit her response.”

Ms Bhargava denied any wrongdoing, claiming she acted on information from local “activists” who said visually impaired women were being held against their will in a dilapidated structure near a church.

Police, however, said that no formal complaint had been registered in connection with the incident.

Another video from the eastern state of Odisha purportedly showed a group of Hindu men harassing roadside vendors selling Santa caps. They objected to “Christian items” being sold in a “Hindu” country.

“Being Hindus, how can you do this?” one of them was heard admonishing the vendors.

“Wrap up quickly and go away from here. If you have to sell anything, sell Lord Jagannath’s merchandise.”

In the national capital Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar area, a group of men allegedly linked to the Hindu vigilante group Bajrang Dal was seen in a video harassing women wearing Santa caps. They accused the women of roaming the streets with the intention of converting people to Christianity.

Open Doors said “these troubling incidents have reinforced the uncertainty and fears of many Christians as they seek to celebrate the peaceful Christmas season”.

The organisation noted that the incidents included far-right Hindu groups disrupting a Christmas celebration in Haryana, claiming it was being used to lure people to convert to Christianity.

The Catholic Bishops Conference said that it had urged federal home minister Amit Shah to ensure strict enforcement of the law and proactive protection for Christian communities, so that Christmas could be celebrated peacefully.

The organisation condemned “the alarming rise in attacks on Christians in various states of our country during the Christmas season”.

It was “particularly shocked” by Ms Bhargava’s alleged behaviour and called for action against her.

“These targeted incidents, especially against peaceful carol singers and congregations gathered in churches to pray, gravely undermine constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and the right to live and worship without fear,” it said.

The United Christian Forum said it had recorded over 600 incidents of alleged attacks against Christians across India this year, including mob assaults, demolition of houses, and disruption of prayers.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a vigilante group linked to the Hindu far-right ecosystem that includes the country’s ruling party, urged Hindus not to participate in Christmas festivities.

General secretary Surendra Gupta said in a letter last month that participating in the festivals of other religions “may lead to social acceptance of other faiths”, adding that the directive was intended to “culturally awaken” Hindus.

Christians account for around 2.3% of India’s population of 1.4 billion, making them Christianity the third-largest religion after Hinduism and Islam.

Christian groups have repeatedly complained of attacks and harassment by Hindu vigilante groups aligned with the BJP, allegations the party has previously rejected.