Hon’ble Smt Draupadi Murmu,
PRESIDENT OF INDI
Rashtrapati Bhawan
New Delhi
presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
31st December 2025
Respected Rashtrapatiji,
Sub: Christmas attacks on Christians
Namaskar! I respectfully place before you some of the legitimate fears and apprehensions of the Christian community in India. It is common knowledge that the pro-rata contribution of the Christian community to the nation in the realm of education, health and social service is second to none.
What is not so commonly known is the number of gallantry and Vishisht Sewa awards won by the members of the community – be it Paramvir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Sena, Nausena and Vayusena medals and PVSM/AVSM/VSM awards. In 1950 the very first Mahavir Chakra was awarded posthumously to Sqn Ldr Sidney Noronha of Goa. In the latest Operation Sindoor a Kirti Chakra was awarded to Captain Sailo of Mizoram. The Indian Christian community takes legitimate pride in its record of selfless service to the nation.
It has also been in the vanguard of promoting Hindi and other regional languages, by missionaries like Padmabhushan Baba Camille Bulcke SJ and Rev William Carey.
Despite this impeccable record we are being increasingly viewed with suspicion and treated with hostility. The New Delhi based United Christian Forum, a pan-India organisation has recorded 834 attacks on Christians in 2024 and 706 incidents upto November of this year. This is an alarming situation. Enough is enough.
These orchestrated attacks by religious fanatics and self-styled vigilantes have exceeded all limits of human decency in the run up to Christmas this year. Attacks were reported across the country – Jabalpur in M.P., Gaziabad in U.P., Lajpatnagar in New Delhi, Raipur in Chhatisgarh, Nalbari in Assam, Palakkad in Kerala, Bareilly in U.P., Jhabua in M.P. etc.
A further shock was the cancellation of Christmas as a holiday for Govt schools in U.P. This, despite the fact that Christmas is an occasion that children especially look forward to. Elsewhere a ban was imposed on something as petty as Santa Claus caps, even though it is a largely secular tradition! These growing acts of vandalism at Christmas time have even drawn the attention of the foreign media in various countries like Dubai, Turkiye, U.K. etc; thereby bringing shame on the country in the comity of nations. In a media driven world, no action goes unnoticed.
This atmosphere of intolerance of the “other” is no longer limited to minority communities like Christians and Muslims. The most recent racist attacks were on a student from Tripura in Dehradun in Uttrakhand and on a Odiya migrant worker in Tamilnadu. An atmosphere of communal hatred and racial intolerance is raging across the country. It has become the new “normal”. This bodes ill for the future of our country that seeks to project itself as a Vishwaguru (World Leader).
Mere attendance of the Prime Minister at some Christian events, without condemnation of the violence and hatred, appear to be no more than photo ops, that further rub salt into raw wounds.
As our Honourable President and guardian of the Constitution of our secular country we request you to take cognizance of these events and direct the governments at the Centre and the States to take immediate steps to prevent such acts of communal violence and racial hatred to preserve the honour and dignity of the Motherland.
We thank you in anticipation of your kind action. JAI HIND!
For INDIAN CATHOLIC FORUM,
chhotebhai
CONVENOR
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