The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has expressed its deep distress and firm condemnation regarding what it describes as an “alarming increase” in attacks and acts of violence against Christians in various states of the country during the Christmas period.
In a statement, the bishops denounce selective episodes targeted especially at peaceful Christmas choirs and faithful gathered in churches to pray, warning that these incidents gravely undermine the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and the right to practice worship without fear.
The CBCI declared itself particularly shocked by a video circulated on social media from Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), in which a visually impaired woman participating in a Christmas program is seen being publicly insulted and physically harassed. According to the bishops, the events were allegedly led by Anju Bhargava, local vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with groups that interrupted Christmas celebrations.
In view of the seriousness of the case, the Episcopal Conference demanded the immediate expulsion of Bhargava from the BJP and also condemned the dissemination of hate posters in Chhattisgarh, which called for a bandh (public protest) on December 24 against Christians, with the consequent risk of exacerbating tensions and fostering violence.
The bishops called on state governments and the central Executive to adopt urgent and visible measures against individuals and organizations that promote hatred, and requested the Minister of the Interior, Amit Shah, to ensure the rigorous application of the law and the protection of Christian communities, so that Christmas can be celebrated in an atmosphere of peace and security.
Attacks in Kerala and Arrests
In Kerala, the police arrested a 24-year-old youth, identified as Ashwin Raj, linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP, accused of assaulting a group of children singing carols in the Palakkad district. According to the complaint, the aggressor threatened the minors, hit two of them, and destroyed a drum used during the singing.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, December 21, when a group of ten students was going around the area performing Christmas songs. After the attack, the children, visibly terrified, went with their families to the police station. The detainee remains in custody, charged under Section 308 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, the new Indian Penal Code.
Pressures Against Christmas Celebrations
Kerala’s Education Minister, V. Sivankutty, also denounced that several school Christmas celebrations were canceled allegedly due to pressures from far-right Hindu groups linked to the RSS. According to The Times of India, some schools had even collected contributions before canceling the events, which provoked protests from parents and formal complaints to the authorities.
Sivankutty accused the RSS and its affiliated organizations of trying to expel the religious practices of Christians and Muslims from Kerala’s cultural life and of seeking to replicate a model of minority marginalization observed in other regions of the country. He assured, however, that any attempt at division or incitement to hatred will be firmly rejected.
Source: Asia News