Christian Communities in Bengal Report Rising Attacks on Churches and Prayer Services
Christian groups in West Bengal have documented about 35 incidents of vandalism, disruption, and assault between July and September, with house churches and first-generation Christians bearing the brunt of the violence. Police have filed FIRs but victims say no action has been taken against the perpetrators.
Christian communities in rural West Bengal have faced a sustained wave of attacks on their places of worship and prayer meetings over recent months, with Hindutva-affiliated groups disrupting services, vandalising churches, and assaulting worshippers, according to documentation compiled by community organisations.
Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), a Christian body, has recorded around 35 such incidents between July and September 20. The attacks have followed a similar pattern across districts, with groups frequently alleging forced conversion as a justification for the harassment and violence.
Herod Mullick, founder of BCP, said the frequency of incidents has increased over the past two-and-a-half to three months. «We have repeatedly sought a meeting with the chief minister, demanding an impartial investigation. But the government is not paying heed,» he said. «So many people are being beaten, crosses are being broken, and someone or the other is being subjected to harassment every other day. The chief minister has not said a single word. We are all frightened and anxious.»
Mullick rejected the forced conversion allegations that have accompanied many of the attacks. «Conversion does not happen by simply gathering people and sprinkling water on them. False narratives are being deliberately created,» he said. «The Christian church is totally opposed to converting people forcefully or through fear. If any group is engaging in anything unlawful, we dissociate ourselves from it.»
He explained that established churches are long-standing congregations with their own buildings, while free or house churches comprise smaller congregations, often of first-generation Christians, who are not affiliated with an established church. In most of the documented cases, these house churches have been the targets.
On September 20, a group of around 50 people affiliated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal raided a church in Dekhali Jalpai village in Khejuri Block II, East Midnapore, during a Sunday prayer service, demanding that the church be shut down immediately. Video footage shows one member of the mob saying that Christianity is not an Indian culture and that the Bible was not written in India or in an Indian language.
Lucky Jana, who led the prayer, said around 70 to 80 unknown men entered the church chanting «Jai Sri Ram» and told worshippers to stop the proceedings. «The group refused to listen to our attempts to reason with them, and suddenly, the situation became violent,» Jana said. «They physically heckled us. They pulled my collar and intimidated me. Multiple attendees got hurt. They even hit a juvenile — grandson of the Pastor.»
Jana said the church had existed for 28 to 30 years and that this was the first time it had faced such intimidation, apart from isolated incidents during Christmas. The church had anticipated possible disruption and had requested police protection for its Sunday prayers. Two civic police personnel were present during the altercation. An FIR was filed at Khejuri police station. The attackers locked the church and wrote «Ram» all over its walls and doors.
On September 16, Putul Manna and her husband Kanchan Manna, residents of Ghoraberia Dakshin Bhatora village in Amta, Howrah, said a group of men barged into their house while they were hosting a prayer meeting. The couple alleged that the group threatened them with eviction and told them to renounce Christianity. «They told us to renounce Christianity and convert to Hinduism, warning that we would otherwise be forcefully evicted from our property,» Putul said. «We initially thought of leaving our house… but I have two sons, one of them is 10 years old. Why should they be evicted from their ancestral home? I have lodged a police complaint.»
Sanjay Paul, an officer from Joypur police station, said no complaint had been lodged and that the couple had not been evicted from their home.
On September 13, a group of saffron-clad men disrupted a Sunday prayer service at a house church in Sirni village in Talda, Dantan, West Midnapore. The group chanted «Jai Sri Ram» slogans. In a video uploaded by one of the disruptors, Indrajit Das, the men appear to intimidate those attending the prayer. One of them can be heard saying that Christianity is not an Indian religion and that the Indian government does not provide a national holiday or celebrate any Christian auspicious occasion. The confrontation escalated into a heated altercation, and the Hindutva team allegedly threatened to tie the worshippers to tree trunks if they did not comply.
Ashalata Murmu, who was leading the service, recounted the incident. One of the men told them, «Don't you know that the government has declared churches and mosques are closed? None of this can be done anymore.»
Police have registered FIRs in several of the incidents, but no action has been taken against the perpetrators, according to Mullick. Instead, victims are being taken to police stations, he said. The pattern of violence has left Christian communities in the region fearful and anxious, with many calling for an impartial investigation and protection for their places of worship.
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