CBCI denounces rising attacks on Christians during Christmas, calls for arrests, expulsions, and robust enforcement to protect religious freedom.
Newsroom (24/12/2025 Gaudium Press) In a forceful wound of indignation and governance, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has denounced an alarming rise in attacks against Christians that spiked during the Christmas season. The bishops cast a wide net of concern, labeling targeted assaults—especially those aimed at peaceful Christmas choirs and congregations praying in churches—as a grave erosion of India’s constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. The declaration frames these incidents not as isolated misdeeds but as a pattern that threatens the fabric of pluralistic, peaceful worship.
The CBCI’s outrage centers on a viral video from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in which a visually impaired woman at a Christmas program was publicly insulted and harassed. The row prominently features Anju Bhargava, a local vice president of the BJP, alongside groups of perpetrators who disrupted the gathering. The bishops demand the immediate expulsion of Bhargava from the BJP, a call they articulate with grave seriousness in the wake of what they describe as “atrocious and dehumanizing conduct.” The statement underscores their concern about a broader climate of intolerance, pointing to hate-filled posters in Chhattisgarh that call for a bandh against Christians on December 24, a move the CBCI says could escalate tensions and incite violence.
Parallel to this, Kerala’s policing authorities moved decisively in a case that brought further heat to the period’s atmosphere. A 24-year-old RSS-BJP affiliate, Ashwin Raj, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a group of ten children singing Christmas carols in Palakkad. The incident, which occurred on a Sunday afternoon, involved detention and threats directed at the young performers, followed by the destruction of their instruments, including their drum. Police charge sheets now place Raj under sections that relate to the Bharati Nyay Sanhita, India’s newly enacted penal code. The arrest has become a focal point in the larger debate about how political and ideological currents intersect with communal life in local spaces.
In Kerala, educational authorities reported a broader pattern of pressure influencing Christmas celebrations. Education Minister V. Sivankutty referenced appeals from far-right Hindu groups tied to the RSS to curtail or cancel school programs. Media reports indicated at least one school initially collected donations for a party before reversing course, while some institutions limited festive activities such as cake-cutting, citing fears of food-related hoaxes or poisoning. Parents briefly organized a petition against a Thiruvananthapuram school that canceled its celebrations, highlighting a climate in which public rites of winter festivity become battlegrounds for ideological contestation.
Minister Sivankutty framed the discourse around a feared “northern model” of marginalization, wherein minorities—Christian and Muslim communities alike—are prodded to withdraw their cultural or religious practices. He argued that Hindu radicals are seeking to replicate regional patterns of exclusion that threaten Kerala’s tradition of inclusive social life. Yet he also noted that some schools officially denied bans on Christmas celebrations, even as they reported restrictions on cake-cutting and related festivities. The conflicting claims point to a complex terrain in which political pressure, communal anxieties, and school governance intersect in real-time.
The CBCI’s response culminates in a public appeal to authorities, urging Interior Minister Amit Shah to ensure rigorous enforcement of the law and to safeguard Christian communities so Christmas can unfold in peace, harmony, and security. The bishops called for urgent, visible measures against individuals and organizations that spread hatred and violence, signaling a demand for accountability that spans both state and federal dimensions.
This push-back from India’s episcopal leadership arrives amid a broader national conversation about religious liberty, minority rights, and the responsibilities of political actors to keep religious spaces free from intimidation. The CBCI’s declaration situates itself at the crossroads of faith, law, and public order, insisting that constitutional guarantees must be protected against deliberate provocation and targeted harassment. Whether these calls translate into lasting changes—through prosecutions, policy enforcement, or community-facing initiatives—remains a bellwether for India’s ongoing struggle to balance pluralism with political passion during a season of spiritual reflection.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Asianews.it and Infocatholica
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