Bengal church attack sparks demand for accountability

NEW DELHI (Indian Catholic News) — India’s largest Catholic lay organisation condemned an attack on a Santali Christian gathering in West Bengal and demanded police accountability, independent investigations and stronger protection of constitutional rights.

The All India Catholic Union (AICU) expressed shock over a mob attack on St. Louis Parish Church in Jalalkhali, West Bengal, during a four-day Santali Bible Conference on Oct. 9. More than 1,900 registered participants attended the opening day of the event organised by the Catholic Diocese of Krishnagar.

According to the AICU, about 200 people allegedly linked to Hindu nationalist groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad (world council of Hindus) and its youth brigade named Bajrang Dal gathered near the church, chanting slogans before some entered the premises carrying bamboo poles and bricks.

The statement said they vandalised decorations and banners, threw stones at the prayer hall and assaulted worshippers. It added that glass protecting a statue of Jesus Christ was broken and at least six people were injured.

Bishop Nirmol Vincent Gomes of Krishnanagar described the assault as “premeditated” and “the worst violence his diocese has known,” according to the statement. The diocese filed a complaint with police citing constitutional protections for religious freedom.

Church representatives rejected allegations of unlawful conversions, saying the event was “a regular programme for baptised Christians.”

Concerns over wider pattern

The AICU said the Jalalkhali incident was not isolated and alleged it followed a broader pattern of hostility against Christians in the state.

Citing a Sept. 22 report by India Hate Lab, a U.S.-based think tank, the AICU said at least 60 incidents targeting Christians were recorded in 13 districts between May 13 and Sept. 20.

The incidents included raids on prayer meetings, homes and churches, as well as assaults, mob violence and vandalism. It also cited Alt News, a fact-checker site, as recording 35 incidents between July 1 and Sept. 20.

“These figures give serious grounds to ask whether the state’s police and administration are protecting the constitutional rights of Christians,” AICU National Vice President Alexander Anthony said.

The statement detailed several incidents, including attacks on Christian prayer services and house churches in Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur districts of West Bengal.

It also cited complaints that police had often been unwilling to register cases and that formal complaints had been accepted in only a fraction of reported incidents.

An opposition fact-finding team led by Sagarika Ghose, a member of India’s Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, reported that Christians were being pressured to “return” to Hinduism and faced obstacles to burials, property development and irrigation access, according to the AICU.

Demands for action

The AICU warned that West Bengal risked joining states with some of the country’s worst records of anti-Christian violence and said the “silence of the Chief Minister and the Union Home Minister” had led many Christians to believe authorities were tolerating such attacks.

The organisation called on the West Bengal government and police to publish the status of all complaints related to attacks on Christian congregations, provide victims with copies of their complaints and end reluctance to register cases.

It also urged district administrations to consult church leaders and community networks where credible threats exist.

The AICU further demanded “an independent review” of incidents in Nadia, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and other districts, including alleged police failures and cases in which victims were arrested instead of attackers.

It also called on the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Minorities and the West Bengal Human Rights Commission to take “suo motu cognisance and order a high-level independent inquiry.”

Read the full press statement.