AbdulQadir7
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Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, two Hindutva organizations, brutally stormed a church in Odhav, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, according to social media postings and eyewitness accounts, these attackers threatened women and children as they rushed the church during Easter prayers brandishing knives and sticks and shouting "Jai Shri Ram," the attack, which has been widely denounced as a vicious attack on a religious minority at one of their most revered ceremonies, sent the congregation into a panic.
This episode is not unique, rather it is a part of a troubling trend of increased anti-Christian violence in India, especially in places where Hindu nationalist parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in power or have sway, systematic violence against Christians, including church arson, physical attacks, sexual abuse and intimidation, has been documented by Human Rights Watch and other organizations, these acts are frequently carried out by Sangh Parivar affiliates including the VHP, Bajrang Dal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS, these organizations support the idea that India is a Hindu nation and see Christian missionary work—particularly conversions—as a challenge to their hegemony in politics and culture.
The language that encourages this kind of violence has grown more inflammatory, for instance in February 2025, Aadesh Soni, a local Hindutva leader, publicly urged Hindus in Chhattisgarh to attack, rape and murder Christians, claiming that they were "brainwashing children" through conversions. Religious authorities such as Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaran and Saraswati responded to Soni's calls for violence by urging Hindus to "slay those who slay our mother cow" and to pursue justice on their own without waiting for the government, tuch hate speech has fostered an environment of impunity and given extremist elements more confidence.
Significant anti-Christian violence has occurred in Gujarat in the past, such as the 1998 attacks that resulted in the burning of numerous churches and the assault of Christian families, this history of intercommunal animosity is seen in the Ahmedabad Easter attack, a separate violent incident involving swords and threats in Ahmedabad has led to the arrest of six men and the detention of a kid by the state police, underscoring the unstable communal atmosphere.
The Easter incident and the larger pattern of violence have been denounced by Christian leaders and organizations, who have called on the government to act swiftly to safeguard minority populations and enforce the law, State authorities have been urged by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council and other organizations to stop additional attacks and guarantee Christian safety particularly during religious celebrations.
This episode is not unique, rather it is a part of a troubling trend of increased anti-Christian violence in India, especially in places where Hindu nationalist parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in power or have sway, systematic violence against Christians, including church arson, physical attacks, sexual abuse and intimidation, has been documented by Human Rights Watch and other organizations, these acts are frequently carried out by Sangh Parivar affiliates including the VHP, Bajrang Dal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS, these organizations support the idea that India is a Hindu nation and see Christian missionary work—particularly conversions—as a challenge to their hegemony in politics and culture.
The language that encourages this kind of violence has grown more inflammatory, for instance in February 2025, Aadesh Soni, a local Hindutva leader, publicly urged Hindus in Chhattisgarh to attack, rape and murder Christians, claiming that they were "brainwashing children" through conversions. Religious authorities such as Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaran and Saraswati responded to Soni's calls for violence by urging Hindus to "slay those who slay our mother cow" and to pursue justice on their own without waiting for the government, tuch hate speech has fostered an environment of impunity and given extremist elements more confidence.
Significant anti-Christian violence has occurred in Gujarat in the past, such as the 1998 attacks that resulted in the burning of numerous churches and the assault of Christian families, this history of intercommunal animosity is seen in the Ahmedabad Easter attack, a separate violent incident involving swords and threats in Ahmedabad has led to the arrest of six men and the detention of a kid by the state police, underscoring the unstable communal atmosphere.
The Easter incident and the larger pattern of violence have been denounced by Christian leaders and organizations, who have called on the government to act swiftly to safeguard minority populations and enforce the law, State authorities have been urged by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council and other organizations to stop additional attacks and guarantee Christian safety particularly during religious celebrations.
