Christians across India mark Christmas amid reports from multiple states of attacks on carol singers, vandalism of decorations, harassment of worshippers and vendors, and controversial remarks by BJP leaders.
While churches fill with worshippers and festive greetings pour in, Christmas in India is unfolding amid more fear and tension rather than celebration with countless reports of attacks, intimidation and disruptions on Christian gatherings and decorations.
The attacks have been linked to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh‑affiliated and right‑wing Hindu groups in several states, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
Police have made arrests and stepped up security, as religious leaders warn against intimidation and call for the protection of constitutional rights.
At a mall in Chhattisgarh’s capital city, Raipur, Christmas decorations were vandalised by a mob of right‑wing activists.
“Around 80-90 people barged in. For the last 16 years, since we began operations here…I have never seen such behaviour. The mob threatened us…shouted at us. They indulged in violence,” an employee of the mall was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a key Hindu nationalist organisation, issued public appeals urging Hindus to refrain from celebrating Christmas, describing participation in the festival as a threat to “cultural awareness,” Indian media reported.
Critics say these calls have contributed to an atmosphere of exclusion and emboldened groups to harass vendors, disrupt celebrations and intimidate Christians during the season.
In Kerala, a group of children, mostly under age 15, participating in a Christmas carol procession were attacked and their instruments destroyed by a man identified locally as affiliated with the RSS on December 21, The News Minute reported.
Police arrested him and he was charged under laws including those prohibiting communal violence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP)
state leader C Krishnakumar dismissed the incident by falsely claiming the group of children were a “drunken criminal gang” and insinuated political motives behind their carolling, a remark that parents and local residents described as deeply hurtful and misleading, given the minors involved.
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