Modi returns from Trump meeting as Christian groups raise religious freedom concerns in India
Attacks on religious minorities soared by 555% over 10 years
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to India after meeting President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., Christian leaders in India remain uncertain whether the U.S. president discussed ongoing attacks on minority communities with Modi during the visit.
Modi traveled to the United States after a previous stop in France, holding talks focused on trade policies and investment opportunities, noted the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. Regulatory approval for Elon Musk’s Starlink operations was also reportedly discussed.
While Trump’s recent announcement to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports without exceptions drew major attention in India, data from the local group United Christian Forum (UCF) showed that the country recorded 834 documented incidents of violence and intimidation against Christians in 2024, marking its highest annual tally.
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Religious freedom appeared to be off the agenda, as no media outlet has mentioned it since Modi’s return to India on Friday.
The UCF figure represented a rise from 127 incidents reported in 2014, marking an increase of more than 555% in a decade, according to an analysis by the Switzerland-based group Christian Solidarity International.
UCF also recorded 149 physical assaults, 209 instances of property damage, and 798 cases of threats or harassment targeting Christians last year, CSI noted, adding that many of these attacks involved disruptions of religious gatherings, often under the accusation of “forcible” conversions.
Twelve Indian states have anti-conversion statutes, many enacted under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which holds power at the federal level as well as in several regions, ICC said. While officially enacted to counter forced conversions, the laws broadly define prohibited activities, making nearly all forms of outreach or evangelism subject to legal scrutiny.
One example is Uttar Pradesh’s law outlawing “conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means.” The definition of “allurement” includes any “offer of […] gratification, easy money, or better lifestyle,” which critics say criminalizes legitimate religious exercise.
In many cases, those who are arrested under anti-conversion laws remain in custody with bail denied, a pattern UCF described as the “justice process” becoming punitive in itself.
Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 165 and 209 incidents, respectively, in 2024. Authorities and Hindu nationalist groups halted or restricted 331 gatherings, often citing anti-conversion concerns. Although India’s constitution provides for religious freedom, many Christians say officials improperly demand permission for worship services, even in private homes.
Hindu nationalists claim that forced conversions are a threat to the country’s society, but UCF said that formal police complaints under anti-conversion laws are frequently lodged without evidence. Police registered only 392 “First Information Reports,” or formal complaints, out of the 834 incidents documented by the group last year.
India’s Christian population includes a significant number of Dalits, who historically faced social and economic discrimination. UCF recorded 342 victims from Dalit backgrounds and 354 from indigenous groups in 2024.
UCF President Michael Williams said the Christian community experiences widespread fear due to rising attacks.
A study from the Center for the Study of Organized Hate found a 74% increase in hate speech incidents from 2023, primarily directed at Muslims but also Christians. About 80% of these incidents occurred in BJP-governed states.
As Modi resumes his schedule, Christian groups watch for any indication that the U.S. trip will affect official responses. He has not publicly addressed them.
