A Christian organization in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal has raised concerns about Christians’ safety after a series of attacks on community members and their churches and institutions across the state this month.
“We are deeply concerned over what appear to be systematic attacks on our churches, institutions, and community members,” Herod Mullick, founding member of the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP or Bengal Christian Council), told UCA News on July 9.
He saw a pattern emerging behind the attacks in the state, where the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in May after winning the state election.
“Christians are being attacked first and then false cases alleging forced religious conversion are being filed against them,” Mullick said.
He alleged that videos with provocative messages are being circulated on social media to shape public opinion against the victims.
A senior church leader, who requested anonymity, told UCA News that these incidents have come as a shock to many Christians in the state.
“People in West Bengal have traditionally lived together with mutual respect for different faiths. Political differences have always existed, but we never witnessed this kind of religious hostility in the past,” he said.
On July 4, a thanksgiving prayer and reception for a newly married couple in the Palbari area of Paschim Medinipur district was disrupted by a Hindu nationalist group.
According to BCP, women attending the event — both Christians and Hindus — were harassed, while some of their traditional symbols of marriage were forcibly removed.
Although police were present, they failed to stop the attackers and instead detained the church’s pastor Anup Ghosh on baseless allegations, it said.
A day later, on July 5, Grace Church in Faridpur Colony, under the Katwa subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district, was allegedly attacked during Sunday worship.
Church leaders said the armed mob vandalized the worship hall, damaged residential quarters, and looted cash, mobile phones, trophies, and important documents.
They said the church had received an extortion demand of 200,000 rupees (US$ 2,095) a day earlier and police were informed, but they failed to act.
On the same day, another newly constructed church in the Buri Bot Tala area in South 24 Parganas district was allegedly vandalized by unidentified persons.
According to BCP, the attackers demolished the cross installed on the church roof and damaged the entrance.
The BCP has planned a peaceful demonstration in the state capital, Kolkata, on July 14 to protest attacks on Christians.
The organization has also appealed to church leaders, civil society groups, and citizens across the state to stand together to safeguard communal harmony and the secular values guaranteed by the Constitution.
Christians make up less than 1 percent of West Bengal’s 90 million people, 70 percent of whom are Hindus and 27 percent are Muslims.
