747 Attacks on Christians in India: The Persecution Nobody Is Talking About

Christian Persecution in India Hits Record High With 747 Documented Attacks in 2025

Hostilities against Christians in India surged to unprecedented levels in 2025, with 747 verified incidents of violence, intimidation, and discrimination recorded by the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFIRLC).

The figure marks a sharp increase from 640 incidents in 2024 and is more than five times the 147 cases documented in 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power. The EFIRLC received over 915 reports during the year, with 747 passing a rigorous multi source verification process.

The breakdown reveals the scale of oppression: 204 cases of threats and harassment, 112 instances of physical violence, 110 disruptions of church services, 86 arrests, 98 false accusations tied to conversion allegations, 42 social boycotts, 27 organized hate campaigns, 24 acts of vandalism, 7 church buildings burned, and 1 murder.

Uttar Pradesh led with 217 cases, nearly one third of the national total, followed by Chhattisgarh with 177. Together they account for nearly half of all incidents. December saw the highest monthly count at 85, coinciding with Advent and Christmas celebrations.

Behind every number in this report is a person whose right to worship freely, guaranteed by the constitution of this country, was violated.

Rev. Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, said in the report released March 24, 2026.

Among the most brutal incidents, 25 year old Kunika Kashyap was beaten with a wooden stick, kicked, and strangled on January 2 by a village headman and his family in Bade Bodal village. She was six weeks pregnant and suffered a miscarriage. In Chhattisgarh, 70 to 100 Bajrang Dal members attacked a Church of God congregation on March 9, cutting electricity and assaulting worshippers.

On Easter Sunday, Pastor Dinesh Parmar's church in Ahmedabad was stormed by 25 attackers, while Pastor Ganesh Vijay Koli and Assistant Pastor Benjamin Gamit in Surat were beaten with sticks. In November, a mob of 80 to 100 attacked 65 year old Pastor Jehovah Das and others in Haryana, forcing them to burn their own Bibles while recording video.

India now ranks 12th on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List, up from 31st in 2013. Christians make up just 2.3% of India's population. Anti conversion laws in states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat are being weaponized against routine prayer gatherings in private homes.

India's War on Christians: 747 Attacks Expose a Growing Crisis of Religious Freedom

The denial of burial rights emerged as a distinct pattern in 2025. When Pastor Subhash Baghel died on January 27 in Bastar District, villagers blocked his burial. His body remained in a mortuary for three weeks until the Supreme Court intervened, directing burial at a Christian cemetery 25 miles away.

In December, mobs attacked the funeral of Chamru Ram Salam in Kanker District, setting fire to his family's home and three church buildings. The district administration then exhumed his body and relocated it, prompting the family to challenge the order in High Court.

Two Catholic nuns, Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, were detained on July 25 at Durg Junction on fabricated human trafficking charges. Five pastors including Pastor Moses Logan were jailed on July 20 and assaulted in custody by guards.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let me be crystal clear: what is happening in India is not "religious tension." It is systematic, state enabled persecution of Christians. When mobs of 100 people attack a 65 year old pastor and force him to burn his own Bible on camera, that is evil.

A pregnant woman beaten until she miscarries. Nuns arrested on fabricated charges. Dead Christians denied the dignity of burial. This is what happens when the world stays silent while a government looks the other way as its citizens are brutalized for their faith.

Imagine if Christians in any Western nation did this to Hindus. The international outrage would be deafening. But 747 attacks on Indian Christians? Barely a whisper from world leaders. The hypocrisy is staggering, and every day of silence makes us complicit.

Take Action

• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians worldwide.
• Support the work of Open Doors USA, which monitors and aids persecuted Christians in India (ranked #12 on the World Watch List).
• Give to International Christian Concern (ICC), which provides direct legal aid and emergency relief to Indian Christians under attack.
• Contact the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. at (202) 939 7000 or dcm@indiagov.org and demand accountability for religious freedom violations.
• Share this story with your church, your pastor, and your community. Silence is complicity. Pray daily for Indian Christians facing violence for their faith.
• Support Voice of the Martyrs which provides Bibles, training, and support to underground churches in hostile regions like India.