Christian Leaders Urge U.S. State Department to Designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” Amid Rising Religious Persecution

Over 300 Christian leaders across the United States, including denominational heads, are urging the U.S. State Department to classify India as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to the escalating violations of religious freedoms, particularly against Christians. In a letter sent earlier this month, these leaders, who include 18 bishops, three archbishops, and numerous clergy from diverse denominations and theological institutions, expressed deep concern over the growing violence and systemic persecution under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. The call highlights the urgent need for international attention to the plight of religious minorities in India.

The leaders say the persecution of religious minorities in India has worsened considerably since Modi’s regime began in 2014. The letter marks the first concerted effort by U.S. Christian leaders to address religious persecution in India.

“This surge in violence is propelled by a Hindu ethno-nationalist or Hindutva supremacist political ideology, which conflates a militant Hindu ideology with Indian citizen identities,” reads the letter. “As a result, both the Hindu religion and India’s Constitutional secular democracy have been severely distorted, leading to alarming levels of state-sanctioned violence against Christians, lower-caste Dalits, and other religious minorities both on the streets and within state structures.”

The letter, organized by the Federation of Indian-American Christian Organizations in North America, refers to a January 2024 petition signed by more than 3,000 ecumenical Christian leaders in India, condemning the Indian government’s alleged state-sanctioned human rights abuses against religious minorities.

Citing a report by the United Christian Forum, the letter notes a drastic rise in attacks on Christians, from 127 incidents in 2014 to 720 in 2023.

The persecution has led to over 65,000 people being displaced in Manipur and more than 400 churches being destroyed or damaged as of May 2023, the letter points out. Another report from Chhattisgarh noted over 2,500 Christians were forcibly displaced between December 2022 and February 2023 due to their refusal to convert to Hinduism.

Showing the severity of the situation, the letter draws on international rankings such as the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern, which places India as the third-worst persecutor of Christians globally.

The letter’s signatories call on the State Department to take several actions, including the designation of India as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act. Countries designated as a CPC face the possibility of negative consequences, including potential crippling sanctions.