For over a quarter of a century, the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFIRLC) has been capturing incidents of persecution against Christians, advocating for religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities. The Commission releases an annual report that details incidents by state and documents violence and discrimination against Christians across India. Last month they issued 2024 findings of an unprecedented surge in violence and discrimination against Christians across India. Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, said “The scale and intensity of persecution against Christians in India has reached crisis levels. On average, four to five churches and pastors face attacks daily, with incidents nearly doubling every Sunday.”
21Wilberforce President Wissam al-Saliby recently said “We remain concerned about the scapegoating of religious minorities, including Christians. For example, Arunachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister has expressed his intention to implement the so-called Freedom of Religions Act of 1978 which violates both India’s constitution and international human rights law.” Read an article we published titled “Christian Leaders in India Send Murmu and Modi an urgent appeal“.
Even though the guarantee of fundamental rights is the foundation of the Indian
Constitution (Puttaswamy v. Union of India, 2017, noted by former Honorable Chief Justice of India, Y.V. Chandrachud), patterns of persecution facing Christians across India include:
- Physical assaults on pastors and worshippers
- Disruption of prayer meetings and church services
- Vandalism of church properties
- Social boycotts and denial of community resources
- Arbitrary arrests under anti-conversion laws
- Economic deprivation and forced displacement
The systematic misuse of anti-conversion laws, which were intended to prevent forced conversions is a large factor in the rise in persecution of Christians. Numerous cases have been reported of pastors who conducted routine prayer services being arrested for “forced conversion” without any evidence. For example, in Sipah village, Bihar, extremists locked a church during a service, assaulted worshippers, and falsely accused them of forced conversion. Four individuals were detained before being released later that evening. This was the second attack on the same church in just three months.
The United Christian Forum (UCF) operates a helpline where incidents of persecution and violence against Christian minorities can be reported any time day or night. Yet many Christians are afraid to file complaints due to fear of police inaction or retaliation. Even when cases are registered, they frequently result in delays, acquittals, or wrongful imprisonment of victims instead of perpetrators. EFIRLC notes that victims often face significant barriers to justice. Kumar of Maharajganj district, Uttar Pradesh knows this all too well. He was brutally beaten while attending a Palm Sunday fellowship, sustaining serious head injuries that required advanced medical treatment. Despite the severity of the attack, no significant legal action was taken against the culprits. Rev. Lal notes that “Limited capacity for investigation in remote areas and the reluctance of victims to come forward due to threats further constrain our ability to document the full scope of the crisis.”
The report, which you can access HERE, calls on the Indian government to:
- Provide immediate police protection for Christian communities facing imminent threats
- Hold extremist groups accountable for instigating and perpetrating violence
- Reform the implementation of anti-conversion laws to prevent their misuse
- Strengthen legal safeguards for victims of religious persecution
- Ensure fair and unbiased legal proceedings in
- cases involving religious minorities
April 7, 2025