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Vikram and his wife had lived with their five children in a predominantly Hindu village in Chhattisgarh for years. On June 16, villagers stormed their home and expelled them following a public meeting where it was announced that they would be removed from the village.
Christian persecution has intensified in India due to growing religious pressures from Hindu nationalist groups and politicians who advocate for a Hindu-majority identity and stricter legal boundaries for religious minorities. Forced conversions, social boycotts, and anti-conversion laws have contributed to fear among Christian communities, particularly in states like Chhattisgarh where such policies are aggressively enforced.
Vikram faced demands from village leaders to abandon his Christian faith and participate in a Ghar Wapsi (“homecoming”) ceremony for conversion. When he refused, a mob attacked their home, throwing possessions into the street and allegedly abusing their three daughters. The police advised villagers to allow the family to stay but took no action when they were evicted.
The family built a temporary shelter in a nearby forest until ICC staff provided them with short-term housing, food, and clothing. Chhattisgarh is one of 11 Indian states with anti-conversion laws that are reportedly used to intimidate and penalize religious minorities.
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In recent years, India has witnessed a marked escalation in the persecution of its Christian population, driven by Hindu nationalist ideology and anti-conversion laws across several states. At least 12 Indian states have enacted such laws, originally aimed at preventing colonial mass conversions but now widely reported as tools for intimidation and criminalization.
Multiple reports indicate that Christian pastors and congregation members are arrested on forced conversion charges during meetings with no evidence. The European Centre for Law and Justice has documented over 160 violent attacks against Christians in India last year, including church and prayer meeting attacks and physical assaults.
The ideological shift under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which draws roots from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — a Hindu nationalist organization promoting an exclusively Hindu nation — has contributed to these developments. The RSS mission statement declares its goal as attaining the “Hindu Rashtra” through organizing society.
Local Christian leaders reported that this was not the first time Vikram’s family faced such attacks, with five village meetings held to pressure them into conversion. The European Centre for Law and Justice described India as increasingly hostile toward Christians and other religious minorities in recent years, noting Hindu nationalist influences have shaped state policy, undermining secular governance and institutionalizing discrimination against religious minorities.
As calls for stricter legal definitions of religious identity grow among Hindu nationalists and lawmakers, Christian minority communities may face increased risks. International advocates continue to monitor such incidents, pressing for stronger Indian government intervention to protect minority rights and urging U.S. policymakers to prioritize religious freedom in bilateral relations with India.
The fate of Vikram’s family remains uncertain as efforts to return them home have stalled, and protection for displaced Christian families in Chhattisgarh is limited.
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