New Delhi, December 28, 2025 – Christmas 2025 in India has been overshadowed by a wave of reported violence, intimidation, and vandalism targeting Christian communities across multiple states, according to monitoring groups and church leaders. Incidents include assaults on carol singers, destruction of church decorations, disruptions of prayer meetings, and harassment of worshippers, often attributed to Hindu nationalist groups.

The United Christian Forum (UCF) and other organizations have documented over 700 incidents of anti-Christian violence in 2025 up to November, with a spike during the festive season. Reports from states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, and Odisha describe mobs vandalizing Christmas trees, burning decorations, attacking children's carol groups, and interrupting church services. In one widely circulated video from Madhya Pradesh, a BJP official was seen confronting and harassing a visually impaired woman at a church event.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) condemned the "alarming rise" in attacks, urging the government to ensure protection for minorities and prosecute those spreading hatred. Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, described the incidents as an "assault on India's secular traditions" and called for solidarity with the Christian community.

Police have made arrests in some cases, such as in Assam where four individuals were detained for burning Christmas items, and in Kerala following an attack on young carol singers. However, critics point to alleged impunity, with few prosecutions despite hundreds of complaints.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a Christmas service in Delhi, extending greetings to the community, amid criticisms that national leaders have not sufficiently addressed the violence.

Sikh Separatist Group Demands "Safe Homeland" for Christians

In a related development, the US-based pro-Khalistan organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has condemned the attacks and proposed the creation of a separate "Trump Land" homeland for India's persecuted Christians.

On December 27, SFJ released a map outlining a proposed region in northeastern India—encompassing states like Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, and Assam—as a "safe haven" named after US President Donald Trump. Pannun appealed directly to Trump for intervention, claiming the violence against Christians (and Sikhs) is part of organized persecution under the current Indian government, driven by "Hindutva ideology."

SFJ, banned in India as an unlawful organization, framed the proposal under the right to self-determination, linking it to ongoing ethnic tensions in the Northeast and broader minority rights issues.

Indian authorities have not officially responded to the SFJ statement, but the group has faced prior accusations of inciting separatism among various communities.

Christian leaders in India have focused calls on enhanced security and legal action rather than separatist solutions, emphasizing constitutional protections for religious freedom.

These events highlight growing concerns over religious intolerance, with international watchdogs like Open Doors and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom noting India as a country of particular concern for rising persecution of minorities.