12/26/2024 India (International Christian Concern) — The United Christian Forum (UCF) has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to establish a national-level inquiry to stem the alarming rise in incidents of violence against Christians in India.
In a Dec. 20 press release, A. C. Michael, UCF national coordinator and former member of the Delhi Minorities Commission, said a secretary-level official should lead the inquiry to investigate the persecution of Christians in India.
Modi leads a coalition government in which the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with Hindu has a majority and has ruled the country since 2014. The UCF report states that there has been an exponential increase in the number of incidents from 127 in 2014 to an all-time high of 745 incidents of violence against Christians by the end of November 2024.
These figures are derived from complaints received on the UCF toll-free helpline set up in January 2015 amid a disturbing surge in violence against Christians in India.
“Many other incidents may have occurred that were not reported through our hotline and, therefore, are not included in the total number,” the UCF stated.
According to the UCF, the helpline service was designed to help those in distress, offering guidance on how to approach public authorities and secure legal remedies in the face of escalating persecution.
UCF also stated that, once again, no data on attacks on Christians and churches in the northeast state of Manipur has been included.
“Last year, the tragic violence, bloodshed, and the demolition of over 200 churches in Manipur were also not reflected in the UCF figures,” UCF stated.
Sectarian violence has been raging in Manipur since May 2023, with Kuki and Meitei tribals fighting against each other in gun battles and the destruction of religious places, especially those belonging to Christians.
Meanwhile, the Christian forum lamented that a petition filed with the Supreme Court, demanding strict action against anti-Christian vigilante groups engaged in violence against Christians in India, has not been heard again since the initial hearings in 2022.
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