Christian families’ homes destroyed after refusing to renounce faith

Four Christian families have had their homes destroyed in a village in India’s Maharashtra state after they refused to abandon their faith.

A group of about 20 people in Midapalli village, located in Gadchiroli district, confronted six Christian families, totalling around 25 individuals, and issued an ultimatum, according to the UK-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

The houses of four families who refused to convert were then destroyed. When the matter was brought to the local police, the authorities took the side of the perpetrators and offered no protection to the families.

Commenting on the case, Mervyn Thomas, founder and president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: “It is deeply concerning to witness the grave and unacceptable assault and humiliation these families have been subjected to on account of their religion.

“Even more alarming is the failure of the police to protect these vulnerable citizens, which has emboldened the perpetrators.

“We call upon the district administration and state authorities to intervene as a matter of urgency, ensuring the safety of the affected families, restoring their rights, compensating them for the loss of their homes, and holding those responsible to account under the law.”

India has seen a steady increase in Christian persecution in recent years. Since Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is broadly associated with Hindu nationalism, came to power in 2014, attacks have reached new heights. Data released by International Christian Concern suggests that attacks against Christians in India have increased more than fivefold since the party assumed office, rising from 127 incidents in 2014 to 745 in 2024.

A range of anti-conversion laws have also been passed in recent years, with 12 of India’s 28 states now having such legislation in place. These laws are widely used as a tool to suppress Christian religious practice, with prayer meetings, charity work and even private worship in homes targeted through complaints. The laws also raise serious questions about freedom of religious expression and belief in the Hindu-majority country, as Indians are not freely permitted to evangelise.

A particularly concerning incident took place last year when members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary were arrested in Durg, a city in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, on charges of alleged human trafficking and religious conversion. The sisters had been accompanying three young women who had been offered jobs by the community, were over the age of 18, and had consent letters from their families.

Despite claims that the laws exist to prevent religious coercion, Hindu nationalist movements associated with their introduction have also pursued their own conversion campaigns. Ghar Wapsi is a nationwide initiative organised by Hindu nationalist groups to encourage people who have converted to Christianity from Hinduism to return to their former religion. The campaign seeks to reclaim large numbers of “untouchables”, or Dalits, an ethno-social group who, despite being ancestrally Hindu, have historically faced persecution within Hindu society and have converted to Christianity in significant numbers. Millions of Christians who left Hinduism because of caste-based stigma and discrimination now face growing pressure to re-enter the religion.

According to the 2011 census, Christians make up 2.3 per cent of India’s population, around 28 million people. India is ranked 11th out of 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, according to Open Doors International.