A person’s true character is revealed not through speeches or public appearances, but through the relationship between their intentions and their actions. Grand words are easy to deliver; it is moral intent that is tested in practice. When intentions are compromised, ethical claims collapse under scrutiny.
This principle applies to families as well. When those in positions of authority fail to safeguard the rights and security of their members, the breakdown of the family becomes inevitable.
The same logic applies even more forcefully to the state. The political character of a country is shaped by the intentions its power chooses to protect. When those in authority offer tacit or explicit approval to groups aligned with their ideology to commit violence against others, particularly by targeting their beliefs, identities, or festivals, the nature of that power is laid bare. In such cases, symbolic gestures or displays of goodwill cannot obscure the underlying reality.
On the morning of December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended Christmas greetings to the people of the country and attended a church service later that day. Images of him seated alongside Christian worshippers, holding a book of carols, carried a strong public message. According to available records, no Indian prime minister since independence, whether Jawaharlal Nehru or Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is known to have visited a cathedral to sing carols on Christmas Day. In that sense, the moment was exceptional and highly symbolic.
In politics, however, the distance between symbolism and lived reality is often decisive. Across different parts of India, Christmas celebrations were disrupted or attacked by groups aligned with the same ideological ecosystem as the ruling leadership. Yet there was no unequivocal condemnation or firm response from the ruling party. Silence, in such contexts, functions as a political signal.
This absence of accountability emboldens those responsible. They operate with the expectation that, at worst, they may face brief detention, secure bail from lower courts, and re-emerge with enhanced social or political standing.
It is here that the relationship between intention and power becomes central. In a democracy, the critical question is not what leaders say from public platforms, but who is protected, who is restrained, and who ultimately receives justice in everyday life.
To suggest that the government was unaware of these incidents would be to disregard the evidence. The groundwork for hostility toward the Christian community was laid well before Christmas. In several instances, this hostility did not emerge solely from street-level mobilization but unfolded with tacit state approval, and at times, in the visible presence of state authorities. What followed was driven by the ideological ecosystem that currently holds power in India, an affiliation the Prime Minister has publicly and repeatedly embraced.
On December 13, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) issued a letter urging Hindus to refrain from celebrating religious festivals such as Christmas, invoking the language of “cultural awareness.” Framed as an effort to “protect religion and tradition,” the appeal extended beyond individual believers to explicitly target shopkeepers, shopping malls, and educational institutions. The letter stated unambiguously that Hindus should not celebrate Christmas in any form. It further announced that the appeal would be formally communicated to the management of shopping malls and to school principals where Christmas is observed on December 25 or where decorations such as “Happy Christmas” are displayed.
The following day, on December 14, members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bajrang Dal entered St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bichhiwara village, Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district, and disrupted a Sunday prayer service. They accused the church of engaging in forced religious conversions and confronted priests and worshippers while the service was underway.
In the days leading up to Christmas, tensions escalated further in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district. Between December 15 and 18, a dispute over the burial of a Christian man in the villages of Bade Tewada and Amabeda spiraled into violent unrest. Reports indicate that a mob exhumed the body, attacked members of the local Christian community, and accused them of religious conversion. Two churches were set ablaze, several Christian homes were vandalized, and a prayer hall was damaged. When police attempted to intervene, clashes intensified, resulting in injuries to approximately 20 police personnel.
In Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, the atmosphere became sufficiently fraught that church officials sought judicial intervention to proceed with Christmas carol singing. Amid pressure from Hindutva organizations and objections raised by local authorities, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled on December 18 that Catholic families do not require government permission to sing Christmas carols door to door. The court clarified that carol singing within private homes constitutes a personal religious practice and does not fall under public order restrictions.
Even before these incidents, the approach of the RSS and the government toward Christmas had become evident. In Kerala, the government postal department has traditionally organized a Christmas celebration each year. This time, however, the Bharatiya Postal Administrative Offices Employees Union (BPAOEU), an organization affiliated with the RSS-linked Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, demanded that the event include the ‘RSS Ganageetham,’ an anthem associated with RSS members, as well as a ‘Ganapati stuti’, a Hindu devotional hymn.
Several employees objected, arguing that government offices should not serve as platforms for promoting any particular ideology. Following these protests, the postal department canceled the Christmas program scheduled for December 18, a move that further intensified discontent. On December 17, CPI(M) Member of Parliament John Brittas wrote to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, describing the decision as unconstitutional and insensitive. He emphasized that Christmas represents faith, inclusion, and social harmony, not an occasion for advancing the ideology of any organization.
Despite these objections, the outcome was that the annual Christmas celebrations in Kerala’s postal department were not held this year.
Similarly, Christmas celebrations were canceled in several schools across Kerala following pressure from right-wing groups. Education Minister V. Sivankutty referred to instances in which school managements refunded money collected from students for year-end celebrations after facing pressure from organizations affiliated with the RSS.
In Kurukshetra, Haryana, Hindu organizations issued warnings to schools, stating that they would intervene to prevent any attempts to celebrate Christmas on December 25, which they described as a “threat to Hindu culture.”
Meanwhile, staff at Kerala Lok Bhavan were denied Christmas leave and instructed to attend official programs on December 25, marking the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This decision came despite Christmas being the most sacred day for India’s Christian community. Making attendance mandatory on this date, particularly in an institution that represents a state with a substantial Christian population, signaled not neutrality, but the privileging of majority sentiments.
This approach was not confined to Kerala. In Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government directed schools to remain open on December 25, replacing the Christmas holiday with compulsory programs commemorating Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, even though the day had traditionally been observed as a public holiday.
Even after December 25, protests against public Christmas celebrations by Hindu organizations continued in several parts of the country.
Opposition leaders also spoke out against these attacks. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj drew attention to the issue by visiting a police station dressed as Santa Claus to file a formal complaint. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked that Christmas was observed in many places under an atmosphere of “fear and anxiety,” calling the attacks a blow to India’s pluralistic tradition. Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh accused BJP-affiliated groups such as the Bajrang Dal of targeting religious minorities, stating that “the BJP acts in direct contradiction to the Constitution.”
Several political leaders, experts, and human rights organizations expressed concern over the growing hostility, warning that such actions deepen communal divisions and aggravate the vulnerability of minority communities. Protests were also held in Mumbai, and the incidents received extensive media coverage, including in the international press.
However, similar attacks occur during Eid al-Adha and other Muslim festivals, yet such political and media responses are often absent. In many cases, not even basic statements or police complaints are pursued. Notably, leaders of Muslim organizations who condemned the Christmas attacks have frequently remained silent during violence targeting Muslims.
While the condemnation of anti-Christian attacks should be welcomed, it is also necessary to recognize a broader reality: religious festivals in India have increasingly been weaponized. In such an environment, consistent opposition to all forms of communal violence, and to the role played by Hindutva organizations in enabling it, is essential.
This is not the first time such incidents have occurred in India. Last year, one of the authors, Sahil, documented 30 attacks targeting Christmas celebrations. This year, we have collaborated to record 30 hate-related incidents that took place across the country during the Christmas period.
The cases listed here are only a selection reported by various credible news outlets. While countless related posts circulate on social media, we have excluded those that we could not verify.
It is also important to note that our documentation focuses exclusively on incidents that occurred between December 20 and 26. Many other incidents that took place before and after these dates are not included in this report.
— Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Chaos broke out at the Palladium Mall on the city’s upscale SG Highway on December 27, when activists from the Hindu organization “Bhagwa Sena” protested Christmas celebrations. During the unrest, the activists vandalized the mall’s Christmas tree and other festive decorations.
— Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): On December 24, members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal protested outside St. Alphonsus Cathedral Church, shouting slogans such as “Down with Christian Missionaries” and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, claiming that a Christmas exhibition had hurt their religious sentiments. On December 25, Bajrang Dal activists also protested outside the Kotwali police station in Bareilly, alleging that anti-Hindu material had been shown at a church event before Christmas. They demonstrated outside the church and are now demanding that the police file a formal complaint regarding the incident.
— Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh): On December 17, a Christmas party was held at the Shiva Temple complex in Ganesh Nagar, within the Sirgitti police station area. During the event, food and gifts were being distributed when activists from several Hindu organizations, including the Bajrang Dal, arrived, alleging that non-vegetarian food was being served. As tensions rose, the organizers alerted the police, who took preventive action against the organizing committee under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code to avoid further escalation.
— Bhubaneswar (Odisha): Street vendors selling Santa hats and other Christmas items faced harassment and threats from individuals linked to Hindutva organizations, who claimed that India is a ‘Hindu nation’ and that selling Christian-themed goods was not permissible.
— Bundi (Rajasthan): An event at a church on Chittor Road was interrupted when activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal arrived, shouting slogans accusing the organizers of religious conversions and demanding the event be stopped immediately.
— Fatehabad (Haryana): On December 21, two Christmas celebrations in Bhuna town faced protests over allegations of religious conversion. One event was halted following the protest, while the other was allowed to continue under police presence.
— Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh): On December 25, while Christians were praying outside St. Thomas Orthodox Maha Idavaka Church, a nearby group affiliated with a Hindu organization chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and sang Hindu religious hymns.
— Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh): A day or two before Christmas, a Christian prayer meeting was disrupted by members of a Hindu organization. Attendees were verbally abused, with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. A video that went viral on social media shows a man named Satyanitha Arya, accompanied by others, confronting a Christian pastor and members of the congregation. He asks the pastor, “What is the book of Jesus Christ?” When the pastor replies, “The Gospel of John and the Bible,” Arya launches into a verbal attack, mocking Christian beliefs and scriptures. In the video, he makes derogatory remarks about the Bible, questions its origins, and elevates Hindu texts such as the Vedas, Manusmriti, and Upanishads. He shouts, “We will never accept a Christian’s Bible… Jai Shri Ram!” and adds, “Jesus Christ is not ours. Who is ours? Lord Ram, am I right?” The video also contains inflammatory comparisons to the Babri Masjid, suggests forced religious conversions, and uses abusive language against Muslim cleric Maulana Mahmood Madani. Arya repeatedly mocks the Christian belief in the virgin birth of Jesus, questioning the pastor about Mary’s pregnancy and deriding the explanation of conception by the Holy Spirit.
— Gurugram (Haryana): On December 26th, the day after Christmas, Hindu organizations held a “mahapanchayat” (large village council meeting) in Gurugram, warning against the construction of a new church. Leaders from the VHP and Bajrang Dal, representing several villages, questioned the legitimacy of the church project and voiced their opposition publicly.
— Indore (Madhya Pradesh): On December 24, members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal attended a school Christmas celebration, claiming that “Christmas is a Western cultural practice” and asserting they would not allow it to be promoted. One leader also alleged that exposing children to such traditions could lead them to convert to other religions in the future. The group reportedly made the children chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and recite the Hanuman Chalisa.
— Indore (Madhya Pradesh): On December 25, ultra-Hindu nationalists, including Krishna Wagh, Uday Yadav, and Lucky Hirve, vandalized a Christmas celebration at The Hub Mall, chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram.’
— Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): On December 20, the Christian community organized a Christmas celebration at a church complex behind Hawabag College in Katanga, inviting around 70 children from local schools for the blind and visually impaired. The event included a meal and entertainment programs for the children. However, activists associated with the VHP, Bajrang Dal, and the BJP arrived, alleging that the gathering was being used for “covert conversions” and that Hindu children were being targeted. Several attendees were reportedly assaulted, though the students involved denied that any conversions took place during the event. A video later circulated showing Anju Bhargava, vice president of the BJP’s Jabalpur city unit, physically confronting a visually impaired woman inside the church. In the footage, Bhargava is seen shouting at the woman in the presence of a police officer, twisting her arm and grabbing her face. The woman is heard asking Bhargava to speak with her rather than resort to physical aggression.
— Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): On the morning of December 22, a prayer service at a church in Madhotal was disrupted when 15–20 members of the Hindu Seva Parishad entered the church carrying iron rods and hockey sticks. They overturned chairs, shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ and caused panic among attendees, alleging that religious conversions were being carried out with the involvement of outsiders.
— Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh): On December 25, the Bajrang Dal held a rally in Thandla town with over 500 participants, many carrying swords. The procession passed through predominantly Christian neighborhoods, reportedly creating fear among residents. Witnesses allege that slogans targeting priests, churches, and Christianity were chanted during the rally.
— Kaithal (Haryana): On December 25, during a Tulsi Pujan Divas event organized by the VHP-Bajrang Dal, a speaker claimed that the ritual was initiated ten years ago to oppose Christmas. The speaker alleged that Christians “worship a plastic tree, pollute the country, work to divide it, and engage in religious conversions,” and further asserted that there are more churches than temples in a nearby area.
— Kanker (Chattisgarh): On December 24, during a statewide shutdown in Chhattisgarh, over 30 people in Badetewada village attacked families who had converted from Hinduism to Christianity several years ago. The mob vandalized their homes and assaulted residents with sticks.
— Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh): On December 25, members of the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal disrupted a Christmas celebration at a private home in the Ultahawa area, vandalizing property and causing chaos. They alleged that the event was intended for religious conversion. Following their complaint, police detained two pastors.
— Haridwar (Uttarakhand): A Christmas celebration scheduled for December 24 at a hotel run by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department on the banks of the Ganges was canceled after Hindu organizations objected, claiming the event would offend religious sentiments in the “holy city.” The RSS also opposed the event.
— Hisar (Haryana): At the site, the Bajrang Dal organized a havan (fire ritual) and recited the Hanuman Chalisa in the park outside the historic 160-year-old St. Thomas Church. A large number of Hindutva activists gathered, waving saffron flags and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, creating a tense atmosphere in the area.
— Lajpat Nagar (New Delhi): On December 21, Bajrang Dal members confronted a group of Christian women wearing Santa Claus hats in a local market, accusing them of proselytizing and forcing them to leave the area.
— Medak (Telangana): On December 21, 2025, Christians in Nalathur village were attacked while singing Christmas carols at a private home. Around 8 p.m., a mob of about 60 individuals surrounded the house, shouted anti-Christian slogans, and forcibly entered, assaulting those gathered. The attackers alleged that the celebration involved proselytizing.
— Nagaur (Rajasthan): Christmas Day celebrations at St. Xavier’s School, under the Kotwali police station area, turned violent when six or seven young men forced their way in, claiming they “didn’t want to see Santa.” They vandalized school property, terrifying children and staff, who fled in panic.
— Nalbari (Assam): Christmas Day celebrations at St. Xavier’s School, under the Kotwali police station area, turned violent when six or seven young men forced their way in, claiming they “didn’t want to see Santa.” They vandalized school property, terrifying children and staff, who fled in panic.
— Palakkad (Kerala): On December 23, an RSS worker was arrested in Puthussery for allegedly attacking a group of children singing Christmas carols. In a video statement, one of the children described being physically assaulted and verbally abused by the workers during the incident.
— Puri (Odisha): On December 20, cow vigilante Radha Madhab Das and her team confronted street vendors selling Christmas items, demanding to see their Aadhaar cards and permits. They threatened the vendors to pack up and leave, claiming that India, as the land of Jagannath, would not tolerate such activities. The group also urged bystanders to drive the vendors away, falsely alleging that they were responsible for bomb blasts.
— Raipur (Chhattisgarh): On December 24, chaos erupted at Magneto Mall when a mob of 80–90 people, armed with sticks and rods, stormed the premises shouting “Jai Shri Ram.” They vandalized the Christmas tree, decorations, and lighting inside the mall. A mall employee reported that the group repeatedly shouted that they did not want to see Santa Claus. Police have filed a complaint against more than 40 unidentified individuals.
— Sriganganagar (Rajasthan): The district education officer issued a directive concerning children dressing up as Santa Claus on Christmas Day, applying it to both government and private schools.
— Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): On December 25th, a group of Japanese tourists visited Dashashwamedh Ghat, including some women. A young man and woman were wearing Christmas hats, which sparked protests from people at the ghat. Members of the crowd tried to make them leave, and the young man, hands folded in a gesture of respect, continued to face verbal rebuke and reprimands.
— Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh): On December 25th, a Christmas celebration at a private hotel was disrupted when Bajrang Dal activists arrived, alleging that the event was being used for religious conversions, a claim they said could not be tolerated. Participants were reportedly assaulted and harassed. As tensions escalated, police intervened, shutting down both events and taking attendees and activists to the station. At the police station, Bajrang Dal members raised slogans and demanded action, while participants dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating it was a routine festive gathering.
These incidents are part of the politics inherently based on hate and the polarizing discourse of the ‘us’ versus ‘them’. When faith-based hate raids and targeted intimidation are allowed to pass unchecked, they do more than wound a vulnerable community. They raise fundamental questions about the governing ideology that enables such acts through silence, selectivity, or tacit approval.
Yet, for the sake of optimism and truth, it is important to acknowledge how ordinary citizens keep the spirit of fraternity alive. Amid all these hate-filled attacks, it is heartening to note that the 123-year-old Victorian-style St. Mary’s Church in the heart of Gulmarg, Kashmir, is cared for by a Muslim caretaker, Muzaffar Ahmed. On Christmas Day, he delights in welcoming visitors from all over, ensuring that every guest feels comfortable and safe. For many tourists, celebrating a ‘White Christmas’ is a lifelong dream, and the serene ambiance of St. Mary’s Church, combined with Muzaffar Ahmed’s warmth and dedication, transforms that dream into a truly memorable experience, a quiet testament to the enduring power of coexistence and shared humanity. Ahmed’s quiet guardianship of a church stands as a powerful moral counterpoint to the politics of hate.
Afroz Alam Sahil is a journalist and author. Afshan Khan is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Istanbul.
