Early June sees the result of the Indian general election, with Christian groups and governmental organisations expressing concerns about the impact the expected re-election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi might have on religious freedom.
Almost a billion voters are taking part. Release International, which supports persecuted Christian worldwide, has drawn attention to keynote new statistics which detail a dramatic increase in acts of violence against Christians in India. The Evangelical Fellowship of India has uncovered a record 601 cases of persecution against Christians in 2023 – a rise of 45% on the previous year. And the United Christian Forum says the violence has continued into 2024. Their latest report lists more than 160 attacks in the first quarter of this year alone.
Andrew Boyd of Release, speaking exclusively to Evangelicals Now, commented: ‘India’s evangelicals are the main target of rising anti-Christian violence on the sub-continent. The reason is simple: they are rocking the boat by sharing their faith with Hindus – especially India’s Dalit underclass. These are the so-called untouchables, the lowest of the low who are brought up to believe they are less than human.
