Christmas in India unfolds under shadow of fear and intimidation
Christians across India mark Christmas amid reports from multiple states of attacks on carol singers, vandalism of decorations, harassment of worshippers and vendors, and controversial remarks by BJP leaders.
While churches fill with worshippers and festive greetings pour in, Christmas in India is unfolding amid more fear and tension rather than celebration with countless reports of attacks, intimidation and disruptions on Christian gatherings and decorations.
The attacks have been linked to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh‑affiliated and right‑wing Hindu groups in several states, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
Police have made arrests and stepped up security, as religious leaders warn against intimidation and call for the protection of constitutional rights.
At a mall in Chhattisgarh’s capital city, Raipur, Christmas decorations were vandalised by a mob of right‑wing activists.
“Around 80-90 people barged in. For the last 16 years, since we began operations here…I have never seen such behaviour. The mob threatened us…shouted at us. They indulged in violence,” an employee of the mall was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a key Hindu nationalist organisation, issued public appeals urging Hindus to refrain from celebrating Christmas, describing participation in the festival as a threat to “cultural awareness,” Indian media reported.
Critics say these calls have contributed to an atmosphere of exclusion and emboldened groups to harass vendors, disrupt celebrations and intimidate Christians during the season.
In Kerala, a group of children, mostly under age 15, participating in a Christmas carol procession were attacked and their instruments destroyed by a man identified locally as affiliated with the RSS on December 21, The News Minute reported.
Police arrested him and he was charged under laws including those prohibiting communal violence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP)
state leader C Krishnakumar dismissed the incident by falsely claiming the group of children were a “drunken criminal gang” and insinuated political motives behind their carolling, a remark that parents and local residents described as deeply hurtful and misleading, given the minors involved.
BJP state vice‑president Shone George echoed this line, saying “if the carollers are indecent, they will definitely get beaten up”.
The comments alarmed families and rights advocates and prompted some parents to consider legal complaints for defamation and psychological harm to the children.
In a strong condemnation of the attack, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) organised protest carols across the district.
In Madhya Pradesh, two separate incidents were reported where a local BJP district vice‑president assaulted a visually impaired woman attending a prayer meeting, with mob harassment also reported during church gatherings.
In several cities, street vendors selling Christmas items such as Santa hats and decorations were intimidated and harassed, with bystanders and vigilantes accusing them of promoting “non-Hindu culture”, including in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, where Bajrang Dal members verbally confronted women and children wearing Santa Claus hats and urged them to celebrate only at home, according to social media video footage and police statements reported in Indian media.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the attacks on Christmas celebrations as antithetical to India’s secular ethos.
Vijayan also highlighted pressure by RSS-linked groups on schools and institutions to cancel Christmas events and warned any infringement on constitutional rights would not be tolerated.
Heightened police deployment has been reported at churches and sites of potential tension, for example, at a historic church in Hisar, Haryana, where authorities positioned officers to prevent clashes after right‑wing groups announced their own events nearby.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) issued statements expressing deep concern about rising attacks on Christians during the Christmas season and urged government action to protect citizens’ constitutional rights.
The Bombay Catholic Sabha similarly condemned the brutal intimidation of Christians and called for protective measures.