While churches across India fill with worshippers and festive greetings pour in, this year’s Christmas is unfolding under a cloud of fear and hostility. Reports of attacks, intimidation, and disruptions targeting Christian gatherings and decorations have surfaced from several states, casting a shadow over the celebrations.
Incidents of violence have been reported from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala, with most attacks linked to groups affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other right-wing Hindu organisations.
According to TRT News, police have increased patrols and made several arrests as religious leaders call for calm, urging authorities to safeguard the constitutional right to freedom of religion.
In Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur, Christmas decorations at a shopping mall were vandalised by a mob of nearly 80 to 90 men believed to be right-wing activists. “For the last 16 years since we began operations here, I have never seen such behaviour. The mob threatened us and shouted at us before resorting to violence,” an employee told The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a major Hindu nationalist organisation, publicly urged Hindus to avoid participating in Christmas events, describing such engagement as a threat to “cultural awareness.” Critics argue that these appeals have fuelled a sense of exclusion and emboldened fringe elements to harass vendors and disrupt Christian festivities across the country.
In another alarming incident in Kerala, a group of children under the age of 15 taking part in a Christmas carol procession were attacked on December 21. Their instruments were destroyed by a man reportedly associated with the RSS, The News Minute reported. Police later arrested the accused and charged him under laws prohibiting communal violence.
Adding to the controversy, BJP state leader C Krishnakumar dismissed the Kerala attack by falsely labelling the minors as a “drunken criminal gang” and suggesting political motives behind their carolling. Parents and local residents condemned his remarks as deeply insulting and misleading.
Religious leaders and civil rights advocates have urged the central government to take stronger action against those promoting hate and division during a season that symbolises peace and goodwill.
BOB Post
