Christians in northeast India marked the second anniversary of violence that struck Manipur in 2023. As the anniversary passed, a lasting peaceful solution to the brutal ethnic and communal conflict that erupted between the Hindu-majority Meitei and Christian-majority Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur is still nowhere in sight.
International Christian Concern - 5/5/2025
As a small church in Gujarat, India, peacefully celebrated Easter on Sunday, several men with alleged ties to Hindu nationalist organizations interrupted the service, carrying sticks and knives and claiming the Christians had no right to practice their faith.
According to eyewitnesses and videos that are circulating on social media, the assailants, allegedly affiliated with groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, entered the church chanting slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” or “Glory to Lord Rama.”
The men accused the Christians of forcefully converting Hindus. Gujarat is one of 12 Indian states that have anti-conversion laws.
Eventually, police ordered the men to leave the church. No arrests have been made.
“Such attacks, especially on a day as significant as Easter, are a direct assault on religious freedom,” the Gujarat chapter of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) said in a statement. “We urge the authorities to ensure justice and protect minority communities.”