09/16/2025 India (International Christian Concern) – After worship ended on Sunday, Aug. 10, in a remote Chhattisgarh village, most of the church members returned home. The few who stayed behind, however, suddenly found themselves trapped.

Around 11:30 a.m., a mob of about 60 Hindu nationalists broke into the house where the service had occurred and beat the remaining believers with sticks and clubs.

“People forced their way inside and began beating us,” said 25-year-old Sandit, who owns the house where worship occurs every Sunday. “They later dragged us outside and tortured us further.”

The mob then stormed into the homes of seven Christian families, beating the believers and destroying their property. Four women and two men were hospitalized with severe injuries.

“I was shocked when I saw one of the church members faint from their injuries while the mob continued to beat up Christians,” said Vijay, 32. “I tried to protect some women in our congregation, but the attackers pushed me as they continued to beat us.

“This is not the first time we have been opposed for attending the church. We have been warned several times prior to this attack by the village leaders. They told us to leave Jesus and stop going to church or face the consequences.”

Standing Firm

Attacks like these are increasingly common in Chhattisgarh, where Hindu nationalists are driving Christians from their homes for praying or sharing their beliefs. They’re also stripping them of basic rights through social boycotts. Christians are denied access to water, food, the internet, and electricity.

“They attack from every angle,” an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer said. “You can’t bury your dead, you can’t work, you can’t eat, you can’t drink, and you’re forced to live in the jungle.”

Since January, ICC staff have heard of about 70 Christian families — hundreds of people — being chased out of their villages. In some villages that ICC monitors, as many as 10 families have been evicted.

Violent attacks against Christians in Chhattisgarh have also increased. In 2024, there were 165 incidents, second only to Uttar Pradesh, which reported 216 such incidents last year. This statistic is significant given the difference in state populations: Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state, has a population of 240 million, while Chhattisgarh’s population is 29 million.

The increased pressure coincides with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) rise to power in Chhattisgarh in 2023. With it came a push to make India a Hindu nation.

As part of this push, village leaders sometimes incite villagers to form mobs and attack Christian homes. These mobs occasionally drag Christians to local temples for Hindu reconversion ceremonies called “Ghar Wapsi.”

Chhattisgarh is one of 12 states in India with anti-conversion laws, which are often weaponized against Christians. These regulations forbid religious conversions through force, manipulation, deception, or inducement. Offenders face severe fines and even incarceration.

Since he became a Christian five years ago, Vijay said villagers have ridiculed him for leaving Hinduism and warned him that there would be consequences.

“The villagers told me that I would lose my agricultural land if I didn’t recant my Christian faith,” he said. “Eventually, I may lose my house since I have built it on the land that I own.”

After considering the worst possible outcome, though, Vijay quickly clarified his faith. He also asked that people pray for him.

“I will not leave Jesus,” he said. “I am not going to change my stance on following Jesus. God is going to reward me, and I am willing to face these passing hardships and persecution. It is difficult because no one comes to our aid, but we have Jesus. He will give us strength and courage.”

Meeting Real Needs

Vijay’s family and the 11 other Christian families have lived in the village their entire lives. After accusing them of abandoning their traditions and ancestral rituals by becoming Christians, local leaders banned the families from the village. They also seized their property.

ICC provides emergency relief to Christians in these situations, whether they’re banned from their village or not. This relief includes food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities.

“The needs remain the same, whether they’re out of the village or in the village,” an ICC staffer said. “Sometimes the mob destroys the house, so we provide materials so they can build a temporary shelter. We also provide three months of groceries.”

Those who don’t leave their village live with ongoing fear, though it rarely leads them to abandon their faith in Christ.

“We are worried and scared. We hear that villagers are planning to destroy our houses and are going to beat us further,” Sandit said. “We don’t know what to do. One thing I am sure of is that we are not going to leave Jesus.”

If you would like to help support Christians who are enduring social boycotts and facing violence and eviction in Chhattisgarh, please consider giving today to stand with them.

*Names have been changed to protect identities

To read more stories like this, sign up for ICC’s free magazine.