Christian Forum Alleges 26 Persecution Incidents in West Bengal in Three Months

A Christian organisation representing more than 1.3 million Catholics and non-Catholics in West Bengal has appealed to the state government after alleging 26 incidents of persecution against Christians during the past three months.

Bangiya Christiya Pariseba submitted a memorandum to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on 17 September, calling for government intervention and greater protection for Christian communities and places of worship.

The organisation says 11 of the 26 alleged incidents resulted in First Information Reports (FIRs) being registered with police.

It claims other complaints have either gone unreported or encountered difficulties during attempts to register them.

The allegations include physical violence, harassment and what the organisation describes as false narratives and propaganda directed against Christians and Christian institutions.

Churches Seek Protection

Bangiya Christiya Pariseba is asking the state authorities for prompt registration of complaints, impartial investigations into alleged attacks and police protection for churches and prayer halls considered particularly vulnerable.

The organisation has also sought a meeting with the Chief Minister to discuss the situation.

Its founding state secretary, Herod Mullick, has alleged that Christians and Christian institutions have been subjected to hostile claims concerning religious conversion as well as harassment and physical violence.

The scale of the allegations deserves attention.

But there is also an important distinction between reported incidents and established offences.

The 26 cases are figures compiled and presented by Bangiya Christiya Pariseba. They have not been independently established case by case in the reporting currently available.

Likewise, the existence of an FIR does not itself prove that an offence occurred as alleged or that religious hostility was ultimately its motivation.

Those questions require investigation.

A Question of Religious Freedom

For Christians, the principle involved is straightforward.

People should be able to worship, pray and gather in churches without fear of violence or intimidation. When credible allegations suggest those freedoms are being threatened, authorities should investigate them impartially.

That does not require accepting every allegation as proven before the evidence has been examined.

It requires taking complaints seriously enough to establish what happened.

With 26 alleged incidents concentrated into three months and 11 reaching the formal police process, West Bengal’s Christian community is raising a concern that deserves transparent investigation.

Christians asking the state to investigate alleged violence and protect places of worship are not asking for special treatment.

They are asking for the same fundamental freedom every religious community should possess: the freedom to worship without fear.

Sources

• The Indian Express