TWO inquiries into assaults on Christians and different minority religion communities in India have reported rising violence, and growing numbers arrested below anti-conversion legal guidelines launched in states ruled by the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The United Christian Forum (UCF) has recorded 525 violent incidents in India this 12 months, within the eight months to August: an increase of 45 per cent since 2022. It additionally recorded 520 Christians arrested and accused of compelled conversions, together with a pair arrested at their marriage ceremony, together with the pastor, after it was alleged that the marriage was a “conversion event”. The UCF is a coalition of Christian organisations which advocates on behalf of non secular minorities.

The UN Special Rapporteur on minority points, Fernand de Varennes, instructed the US Commission on Religious Freedom, which is finishing up one of many inquiries: “India risks becoming one of the world’s main generators of instability, atrocities, and violence, because of the massive scale and gravity of the violations and abuses targeting mainly religious and other minorities such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs. . . It is systematic and a reflection of religious nationalism.”

The Washington-based Indian American Muslim Council mentioned in its newest report that Muslims and Christians have been dealing with focused assaults and hate crimes in India, together with demolition of their houses and locations of worship. It recorded 255 cases of hate-speech gatherings, focusing on Muslims, throughout 17 areas, within the first 181 days of 2023.

A surge in violence in opposition to Christians occurred in Manipur, a state in north-east India, in May (News, 12 May). More than 175 individuals from the minority Kuki ethnic group have been killed, and hundreds displaced in combating with the bulk Meitei tribe. Sexual crimes in opposition to girls have additionally been prevalent: the case of two Kuki girls paraded bare by means of the streets earlier than being gang-raped sparked worldwide outrage when it was circulated on social media (News, 28 July). Violence remains to be persevering with, and a buffer zone has been arrange between the Meitei and Kuki communities. An web blackout has been reimposed on the area by the federal government to attempt to calm tensions.

The charity Release International, which helps persecuted Christians, referring to a current courtroom ruling, mentioned that there have been some indicators of hope for Christians. The High Court in Allahabad has granted bail to Christians accused of breaking the anti-conversion legal guidelines of the state by giving Bibles to kids. The courtroom dominated that the accused “were involved in providing good teachings to children and promoting the spirit of brotherhood among the villagers”.

The CEO of Release International, Paul Robinson, mentioned: “We hope that other states will now review and reconsider their own anti-conversion laws.”

A second inquiry into assaults on minority spiritual teams is being carried out by the Indian Minorities Commission. But Christian leaders mentioned that they weren’t reassured that the inquiry demonstrated the seriousness of the BJP about stopping persecution. There is reportedly no Christian member on the inquiry crew.

India is at the moment ranked eleventh within the record of the worst nations for the persecution of Christians, the place spiritual minorities face excessive persecution.