Religious Freedom Under Fire: Arrest of British Church Leader Highlights Growing Peril for Christians in India

The recent arrest of a British church leader in India has ignited urgent concerns over the deteriorating landscape for religious minorities in the country. Advocates warn that increasingly stringent anti-conversion laws are being weaponized to criminalize standard Christian practices, leaving the local community increasingly vulnerable to state and vigilante intimidation.

A Pattern of Prosecution

The incident involves Pankaj Devnoor, a 50-year-old member of the Anglican Episcopal Church International from Manchester, who was detained during a church service in Pune. His arrest followed an allegation by a local rickshaw driver who claimed Devnoor was a missionary intent on performing religious conversions.

While Devnoor held a visa that permitted him to attend religious services, he was not authorized to preach. Although he was initially charged under Maharashtra’s Freedom of Religion Act, it was later revealed that the legislation was not yet in force at the time of the arrest. While the specific anti-conversion charges have since been dropped and bail has been granted, Devnoor remains subject to further scrutiny regarding potential immigration violations. His family has expressed deep concern for his safety, citing that his personal details were widely circulated by the Indian media following the arrest.

“A Very Difficult Season”

Archbishop Joseph D’Souza, a prominent leader with the All India Christian Council, describes the current climate as a “very difficult place and season” for religious freedom in India. According to D’Souza, the case is symptomatic of a broader strategy to persecute the Christian community.

Currently, 12 of India’s 28 states have enacted anti-conversion laws. D’Souza claims that these statutes are being used to justify the arrest of hundreds of Christians on “flimsy and false charges.” He notes that routine activities, such as Bible studies or prayer meetings held in private homes, are frequently reclassified by authorities as fraudulent conversion attempts.

The Archbishop shared a harrowing account of a bishop in Bengal who was attacked by a vigilante mob while attending a home prayer meeting. Despite the bishop and his wife being physically assaulted and having their clothing torn, local police—rather than pursuing the attackers—filed charges against the victims.

Consequences for Local Believers

The impact of this hostility extends far beyond foreign visitors. D’Souza warned that when international Christians are targeted, local congregations often suffer the most. “The foreigner gets arrested, but then the local Indian group bears the brunt of the attack,” he explained.

While the Archbishop emphasized that this intolerance should not be attributed to all Hindus, he identified it as a specific, aggressive strain of religious nationalism. He advised foreign Christians to be “circumspect” and fully aware of the restrictions tied to their visa status, explicitly cautioning against preaching or teaching while on a tourist visa.

A Call for Global Support

Despite the mounting legal and physical threats, D’Souza maintains that the Christian faith in India continues to see growth, asserting that “the state can make all these laws, but they can never make laws against the Spirit of God.”

As the situation unfolds, D’Souza is urging the international community—specifically Christians in Britain—to take concrete action. He is calling for global prayer for those imprisoned and their families, and for believers to contact their Members of Parliament and Indian authorities to voice their concerns regarding the targeting of Christians.

“Without prayer and action, not much happens,” the Archbishop concluded.