Discrimination against Christians in India increased last year, with the number of incidents recorded almost four times higher than a decade ago, according to a study of discrimination against Christians in the nation.
The Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission’s (EFIRLC) latest annual report recorded 640 verified incidents of persecution against believers in 2024 (with another 200 reported cases unverified), up from 601 the previous year. Perhaps more shockingly, it also revealed that the number of incidents has increased fourfold from just 147 cases recorded in 2014.
The report revealed that persecution comes in many forms, including physical assault, disruption of church meetings, vandalism of church properties, arrests under anti-conversion laws, and forced displacement among others.
Additionally, the EFI claim that anti-conversion laws are being “systematically misused to target Christians”, with pastors arrested while leading church prayer meetings, while Christians generally are afraid to go to the authorities to pursue justice.
Rev.Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of the EFI, told en that the report’s findings should concern not just the church, but “any citizen who values constitutional promises that include religious freedom.”
He added: “These attacks, often systematic, unchecked, create an atmosphere of fear, exclusion, and impunity, which goes against the very idea of India as a plural and democratic society.”
The level of dissatisfaction surrounding these laws was recently highlighted in a protest in Borum village which saw a reported 200,000 believers demonstrate against the implementation of new anti-conversion laws in Arunachal Pradesh.
Rev. Lal said: “The recent protests in Arunachal Pradesh are a strong reminder that people are deeply uneasy about laws that can be misused to stigmatise and suppress. That over 200,000 citizens came together to oppose such legislation should speak volumes.
“As Indian Christians, we believe in peace, dignity, and freedom for all. Our call is not for special treatment, but for equal treatment under the law.”
