KOLKATA: Hundreds of Christians took to the streets of Kolkata, accusing Hindu nationalist groups of orchestrating a campaign of attacks against their community in West Bengal following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in state elections in May.
Christian leaders say churches have been vandalised, pastors assaulted and prayer meetings disrupted in the eastern Indian state, raising concerns over religious freedom in a region of around 100 million people.
“For the last five months, we’ve seen systematic attacks being organised against Christians, and the pretext is unlawful conversions,” Herod Mullick of the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), which organised Thursday’s march, told AFP.
Christian organisations have faced accusations of attempting to convert Hindus to Christianity, a charge they deny.
Vandalism and attacks
The BCP said it had documented 48 incidents of vandalism and attacks targeting prayer meetings, worship centres and churches over the past five months, describing the situation as “an unprecedented crisis”.
AFP could not independently verify the figure. However, other Christian organisations and research groups have also reported attacks in the state.
The Washington-based India Hate Lab said in a September report that it had documented 60 incidents targeting Christians in West Bengal since the BJP came to power, including assaults, vandalism and raids on prayer meetings.
Church Mob Attack
The All India Catholic Union condemned an attack on a Bible conference in Nadia district on October 9, when a mob of around 200 people stormed a church, smashed decorations and injured at least six people.
The Catholic Association of the Archdiocese of Delhi also expressed alarm, saying it was “deeply shaken by… the terror being inflicted upon innocent Christians in West Bengal”.
Mullick said he was seeking a meeting with the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu nationalist organisation widely regarded as the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.
The RSS and BJP have long accused Christian groups of forcibly converting Hindus, allegations rejected by Christian organisations.
Religious Tensions
Christians account for less than one per cent of West Bengal’s population, according to India’s last national census.
Across India, a country of around 1.4 billion people, Christians make up more than two per cent of the population, based on the same census.
Christian communities say their faith has been present in India for nearly 2,000 years.
The latest allegations have intensified concerns among Christian leaders over the safety of religious minorities and the protection of freedom of worship in West Bengal.
