An overview of the attacks on Christians in India from 1990 up to 2025

An overview of the attacks on Christians in India from 1990 up to 2025, followed by a timeline of major incidents in 2025, including recent daily-reported violence. The data draws on multiple human-rights reporting sources, incident trackers from civil society groups such as the United Christian Forum (UCF) and advocacy reports, as well as notable historical documented events. Sources indicate that reported incidents are underestimates since many attacks go unreported or are not systematically recorded by government databases. Christian Today India+1 

Historical Timeline of Attacks on Christians in India (1990–2024)

1990s

• 1999 – Ranalai Violence (Odisha):
  A large mob attacked Christian homes, burned houses and assaulted villagers in Gajapati district. Homes and properties were destroyed. Wikipedia

2000s

• 2008 – Kandhamal Violence (Odisha):
  One of the worst anti-Christian communal outbreaks in recent history. Violence was triggered after the killing of a Hindu monk, leading to widespread attacks: hundreds of churches burned, thousands of Christians displaced, and dozens of deaths reported. Wikipedia

2010s

• Post-2014 Rise in Violence:
  Data collected from advocacy organisations shows a significant increase in attacks after 2014, coinciding with the rise of Hindu nationalist politics at the national level. Year-by-year UCF figures indicate an upward trend:
• 2014: ~127 incidents
• 2015: ~142
• 2016: ~226
  … increasing through the decade. Christian Today India

(Figures from helpline reporting by UCF, which tracks reported incidents via complaints and witness calls.)

2020–2024

• 2020: ~279 incidents reported.
• 2021: ~505 incidents reported.
• 2022: ~601 incidents reported.
• 2023: ~734 incidents documented.
• 2024: ~834 incidents documented — the highest annual figure yet, averaging more than two attacks daily and targeting individuals, communities, churches, prayer meetings, and religious properties. Catholic Connnect

Note: These totals include violence, intimidation, church property damage, social boycotts, forced or coercive allegations of conversion, physical assault, and legal harassment. Christian Today India

2025: Patterns and Daily Incident Data

Reports from civil society groups and human-rights monitors indicate a continued high incidence of violence for 2025, often averaging about two attacks per day. RVA+1

Incidents Reported in 2025 (Jan–Jun)

Time Period	Reported Incidents	Daily Average
Jan–Apr 2025	245 incidents (19 states)	~2 per day RVA
Jan–May 2025	313 incidents	~2 per day International Christian Concern
Jan–Jun 2025	378 incidents	~2 per day Catholic Connnect

• States with most incidents include Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, among others. Vartha Bharathi

Selected Major Incident Timeline – 2025

Daily micro-level documentation is limited in publicly available aggregated datasets. The following are documented notable incidents and trends in 2025:

January – March 2025

• Violence around Easter services: Multiple reports of mobs disrupting Easter worship services and attacks on churchgoers in Gujarat and other regions. Reddit
• Ongoing daily attacks: UCF data show steady reports averaging two attacks per day through February and March. RVA

April 2025

• April 24, 2025 – Church demolished in Chhattisgarh:
  A mob affiliated with right-wing groups reportedly demolished an established church in Raipur district after accusing it of forced conversion. Reddit

June 2025

• June 21, 2025 – Mob attack in Odisha (Malkangiri):
  Christians celebrating an annual harvest prayer were attacked by a mob leading to hospitalizations, highlighting acute rural communal tensions. Reddit

July 2025

• July 25, 2025 – Arrest of Malayali Nuns (Chhattisgarh):
  Two Catholic nuns and a layperson were detained under alleged conversion charges — widely condemned and politically contentious. Wikipedia

October 2025

• 4–7 October – Cuttack Clashes (Odisha):
  Religious violence and public disorder erupted during festival processions, leading to curfew and arrests (broader communal context, although not specifically anti-Christian in some reports). Wikipedia
• 5 October – Church Stormed (Chhattisgarh):
  Right-wing group members reportedly attacked and vandalized a church in Raipur over alleged conversions. Reddit

December 2025

• Christmas Season Tensions (Dec 24–25, 2025):
  Multiple reported clashes and interruptions of celebrations in Kerala (Alappuzha) and Guwahati; concerns raised by church leaders and NGOs about intolerance. The Times of India+1

2025 Daily Incident Reporting (Summary View)

While exact day-by-day logs are not centrally published, the aggregate data from UCF suggests:

• ~2 reported incidents per day on average through 2025. RVA
• Incidents span assault, intimidation, church disruptions, property damage, threats, and legal prosecution under anti-conversion laws. Christian Today India

Note: Some events may not be included in civil society summaries due to reporting gaps, delayed documentation, or under-reporting in regional media.

Contextual Factors

Analyses from rights groups and media note several factors influencing these incidents:

• Allegations of forced conversions used to justify or pretext violence. Christian Today India
• Anti-conversion laws in multiple states have been criticised as facilitating harassment.
• Reports suggest a broader climate of intolerance affecting various minorities. www.christiandaily.com

 

References:

Civil Society & Christian Rights Monitoring Organisations

United Christian Forum. (2024). Violence against Christians in India continues to rise. https://www.ucfindia.org

Christian Today India. (2024). Two attacks daily: UCF highlights worsening pattern of violence against Christians in India. https://www.christiantoday.co.in/news/two-attacks-daily-ucf-highlights-worsening-pattern-of-violence-against-christians.html

Christian Today India. (2023). Anti-conversion laws and rising attacks on Christians in India. https://www.christiantoday.co.in

Christian Daily. (2024). Reports highlight increased hostility toward Christians in India. https://www.christiandaily.com

International Christian Concern. (2025). Study reveals number of daily attacks against Christians in India. https://persecution.org/2025/06/24/study-reveals-number-of-daily-attacks-against-christians-in-india/

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Catholic & Ecumenical News Agencies

Catholic Connect. (2024). Violence against Christians in India escalates to highest level. https://catholicconnect.in/news/violence-against-christians-in-india-escalates

Catholic Connect. (2025). Over 370 anti-Christian attacks reported in India in first six months of 2025. https://catholicconnect.in

Radio Veritas Asia. (2025). India: 378 incidents of anti-Christian violence reported in first half of 2025. https://www.rvasia.org/asian-news/india-378-incidents-anti-christian-violence-reported-six-months

Radio Veritas Asia. (2025). 245 incidents of violence against Christians reported between January and April. https://www.rvasia.org

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Mainstream Indian Media

The Times of India. (2025, December 25). Mumbai bishop decries attacks on Christmas gatherings. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The Times of India. (2025, December 25). Clash breaks out during Christmas celebrations in Kerala’s Alappuzha. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Vartha Bharathi. (2025). States with highest incidents of violence against Christians in India. https://english.varthabharati.in

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Historical Incidents (Encyclopaedic Sources)

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 1999 Ranalai violence. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Ranalai_violence

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 2008 Kandhamal violence. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Kandhamal_violence

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Christmas_violence_in_Kandhamal

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Detention of Malayali nuns in Chhattisgarh (2025). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 2025 Cuttack violence. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org

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Supplementary / Incident-Based Reporting

Reddit contributors. (2025). Reports of church demolitions and mob attacks in Chhattisgarh and Odisha. https://www.reddit.com

Note: Reddit sources are cited here only as supplementary references to contemporaneous incident reporting and should be corroborated with independent media or civil society documentation.

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