By Ashis Biswas
KOLKATA: It is not often that Christians as a community have complained of facing physical attacks or religion-related tensions in West Bengal in recent times. Christian organisations have occasionally referred to various difficulties/discrimination targeting minority groups of people in Uttar Pradesh or Odisha in public statements and official complaints, especially after sporadic incidents of violence.
However, it seems things have changed for the worse in West Bengal after only six -odd months of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) rule — such is the view of influential Christian organisations based in the Northeast. Generally such authorities do not comment on sensitive issues in neighbouring states/regions. They focus mostly on local incidents involving ethnic violence in the seven sister states. Not only community leaders/elders in the NE region, even sections of the English language press in some Christian majority states have taken note of what they perceive as a sudden eruption of group violence that hurts Christians in West Bengal.
Recent reports/analyses from the NE region have urged upon concerned law enforcing agencies as well as political leaders in the state as well as the Centre, to take note of the situation in West Bengal. What has caused strong concern among Christians nation-wide is the unexpected upsurge in physical attacks and violence directed against the community. For instance, according to one report, 65 hostile incidents involving anti-Christian violence have been reported from West Bengal between May to September this year.
In contrast, between Jan to April in 2025, only 11 such incidents had been reported. While the stats quoted in the NE media do indicate a sharp deterioration in the law and order situation as a whole, the analytical basis for a year-on-year assessment was not provided, for reasons not known. The fact that in general West Bengal was regarded as a state free from the disturbing trend of mob violence over religious issues was duly mentioned.
Analysts blamed ‘pro Hindutva’ forces such as the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad – VHP — for going on the warpath against Christians and the minorities in general, in West Bengal. This had never happened before. The role of the newly elected ruling BJP, which is generally regarded as a right wing party, was utterly unsatisfactory both in the sphere of general governance as well as in providing protection for the minorities. Strong action was called for against groups leaders planning and carrying out attacks against largely innocent minority communities.
Local reaction in West Bengal to such allegations whether at the administrative or political level has not been significant. Kolkata remains the headquarter of Anglo Indian associations in India and its local leader Mr. Paritosh Canning has been maintaining close contact with ruling establishments over the years. The apex association of Anglo Indians which discussed various issues faced by their community with state government authorities, some days ago and placed certain demands. But there was no reference apparently to the problems raised by NE Christians about Hindutva groups attacking other communities. Politically, too, organisations like the VHP or the .Bajrang Dal did not react publicly, in the local media.
However, certain reports in the social media provided a vigorous counter to the allegations raised by NE-based Christian organisations. It was alleged that despite well established legislation and rules, some Christians and missionaries had gone on a major drive in recent years to carry out mass conversions among the relatively poor tribals especially in the comparatively neglected border regions and interior villages in several districts. In most cases of conversion, the payment of money and other assistance had been reported. Even Kolkata and the smaller towns, too, had not escaped the outreach of what appeared to be organised missionary efforts.
For instance, there have been several reports of residents of North as well as South Kolkata receiving occasional newsletters/ other published material about the good work done by Christian organisations among the poor in various parts of India, or about inspiring stories from the Bible in a serialised form. Local NGOs in many areas of Kolkata have reported well organised celebration of Christmas in different parks, attended by sizable crowds. Gifts were distributed among the children and youths, while trained choirs of children sang religious songs etc.
A South Kolkata resident said that there was nothing objectionable or provocative about such programmes, but their significance lay in the fact that they were not held before — ‘Christmas celebrations, for the most part had been restricted to non Christian families buying cakes and stuff in the city, coupled with some seasonal shopping. But these functions held in the city parks and the regular supply of Christian literature to individual homes by post — these could not take place without organisational effort on someone’s part, obviously someone with money and other resources, with a proselytizing intent, maybe’, he said.
Meanwhile there were also reports especially from South 24 Parganas villages and other areas, of increasing conversions by Christians. Some reports from Kolkata’s rural suburbs in Howrah and 24 Parganas districts also mentioned occasional violence between visiting Christians and other groups over such matters. Massmdis in West Bengal mostly took little notice of such issues.
The clincher came within a few hours of writing this report: At a village in Harishchandrapur in Malda, a Muslim majority district of West Bengal with a somewhat dicey record in terms of communal violence and crime in general, five BJP supporters were allegedly beaten up by local Christians along with some ‘outsiders’ visiting them, after an argument — apparently, the BJP supporters were protesting against increasing conversions in the area. Local residents interviewed by local media networks on Sunday (November 1) confirmed that inmates of over 40 households had been ‘converted’.
There was no official comment from the local administration or any political party. (IPA Service)
