When Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks of his bond with India’s Christian community or embraces the Pope for cameras in Rome, his words feel increasingly hollow. Back home, a darker reality unfolds. Across India this December, Christians gathering for Christmas prayers have faced mobs hurling stones, threats echoing through sanctuaries, and violence disrupting what should be joyous celebrations. From Delhi’s urban neighbourhoods to Odisha’s villages, from Madhya Pradesh’s heartland to Uttarakhand’s hills, the pattern is unmistakable and deeply troubling.

These aren’t isolated incidents but coordinated attacks. In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, a gang stormed into a church, beat worshippers, smashed property, and chanted “Jai Shri Ram” amid the chaos. In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, a mob forcibly stopped Christmas celebrations, vandalising and damaging items prepared for the festival. In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, members of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad sat outside Bishop Conrad School in the Cantonment area, reciting Hanuman Chalisa and raising “Jai Shree Ram” slogans—all while police stood by watching. On Christmas Eve in Nalbari, Assam, groups stormed St. Mary’s School in Panigaon, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hindu Rashtra” as they destroyed and burnt Christmas decorations that children had lovingly prepared. In Haridwar, similar groups barged into prayer meetings and assaulted worshippers. Odisha, still scarred by the brutal 2008 Kandhamal pogrom that killed over a hundred Christians and displaced tens of thousands, witnessed fresh assaults on midnight masses. Even in the........

© Eurasia Review