Guwahati: The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The letter raises concerns over what it described as the increasing persecution of Christians across India, especially during the Christmas period.
The church body urged the Prime Minister to take notice, stating that attacks on Christians are not isolated incidents but a growing nationwide issue.
“The rising tide of Christian persecution in India is making it increasingly precarious to be a Christian. The pace and intensity of attacks suggest that simply being a Christian is turning into an existential threat,” the NBCC said.
Referring to figures from the United Christian Forum, the NBCC noted that over 600 violent incidents were reported between January and October 2025 alone, averaging roughly two attacks per day. These included mob assaults, public humiliation, disruptions at churches, and the destruction of homes.
“It’s a bitter irony that in a country that prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy, citizens are facing attacks for simply celebrating Christmas… The freedom to practise one’s faith seems like a distant dream when such incidents occur again and again,” the letter stated.
The NBCC also criticised Christian legislators, including those from the BJP, for failing to speak out against attacks and hate speech, citing high-profile cases in Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Lajpat Nagar (Delhi), a Raipur shopping mall (Chhattisgarh), the St. Mary’s School attack in Nalbari (Assam), and incidents in Kerala and Rajasthan.
“It is unthinkable, as a Christian and citizen of India today, to be on the receiving end of religious persecution. It is quite baffling to understand why so much hatred is vented against a community like Christians. If we consider the contribution of Christians in nation-building, we can proudly say that we are contributing to the security, economy, culture and political shaping of modern India to this day,” the NBCC said.
“Christian understanding of nationalism is loyalty and patriotism to the nation, and in this, Christians have not lacked anything compared to the rest of the cultural Hindu nationalists,” it added.
