“This year we are not sure how many will turn up for the Christmas celebration, having bad taste of last year’s event,” Pastor Bansilal, leader of Messiah Shakhty Semite, told ICC. “Christians are [under] tremendous pressure from the right-wing Hindu hardline groups. We cannot openly have any sort of Christian events in public. Even private gatherings have close surveillance. We know our constitution gives us the right to worship and the right to assemble, but in practice we are at the mercy of the majority religion.”
“We had to completely stop all our church activities, including Christmas carols,” Pastor Sam P. Jacob, a pastor in Uttar Pradesh, told ICC. “I am not the only person to stop church activities. The majority of independent churches in the Agra region are under pressure and they are being harassed by the Hindu radicals.”
Pastor Sam was attacked in Agra by the members of VHP and Bajrangdal on October 30, 2018. Pastor Sam and his pregnant wife, Rajina Sam, were brutally beaten with hockey sticks and baseball bats as they attended an event to map out Christmas programs with other pastors in Agra.
Pastor Sam said that he is not sure what the situation will be like on December 25. Because of this uncertainty, he is planning for a secret Christmas event with other local pastors facing a similar situation.
“The last year has been [a] difficult year,” Pastor Karma Urah, head pastor of the Believers Church in Hermu, Jharkhand, told ICC. On Christmas Eve 2017, Hindu radicals dragged Pastor Karma out of his house and brutally beat him. “Prior to December 24, 2017, more than 35 people used to gather for worship,” Pastor Karma explained. “Since the attack on the Christmas Eve service, five families went back to their previous religion. From that day onwards, we stopped the worship service in the village. For this Christmas, we cannot think of having an event.”
Across India, Christian leaders find themselves under pressure and conflicted this Christmas season. As attacks on Christians and Christmas programs have become more common, many are considering cancelling traditional Christmas programs in the name of safety and security for their community. In particularly hostile places, Christian leaders are pushing their Christmas celebrations underground. Remember to pray for these Christians in India whose holiday will likely be marred by fear and intimidation.
For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected]