More than 300 Christian leaders in the United States, including denominational leaders, have called on the State Department to designate India as a “country of particular concern” due to India’s persecution of Christians. According to The Christian StandtChristian leaders say persecution of religious minorities in India has worsened since Modi came to power in 2014.
“This surge in violence is driven by a political ideology of Hindu ethno-nationalism, or Hindutva, which conflates radical Hindu ideology with Indian national identity,” it said. letter“The result has been a gross distortion of both Hinduism and India’s constitutional secular democracy, with alarming levels of state-sanctioned violence against Christians, lower-caste Dalits and other religious minorities on the streets and within state institutions,” said the report, sponsored by the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America.
The letter was signed by church leaders from various denominations, including 18 bishops, three archbishops, numerous clergy and leaders of Christian and theological organizations. It also references a January 2024 petition signed by more than 3,000 ecumenical Christian leaders in India condemning the Indian government’s persecution of religious minorities.
The letter also cited a report by the United Christian Forum, which noted a significant increase in attacks against Christians, from 127 in 2014 to 720 in 2023.
As the letter points out, persecution has forced the displacement of more than 65,000 people in Manipur as of May 2023, and destroyed or damaged more than 400 churches.
According to International Christian Concern, a US-based persecution monitoring group, India is the third worst country in the world for persecuting Christians.
In the letter, the Christian leaders call on the State Department to hold Indian government officials accountable for religious freedom violations, consider targeted sanctions, and support independent religious and human rights groups in both India and the U.S. The letter also tells Secretary of State Antony Blinken that India’s silence on issues is not in keeping with our geopolitical alliance with India, and urges the State Department to not turn a blind eye to these religious violations.
“The Indian government has cut funding to hundreds of Christian schools and hospitals that have provided education and care to all people, regardless of caste or religion,” the letter said. “The strict application of India’s Foreign Donations Control Act has cut off international aid, affecting thousands of internationally respected organizations, including Amnesty International, Compassion International, World Vision and Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, leaving Indian Christians isolated, fearful and insecure.”
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