Protest Against Attacks on Christmas Celebrations in India
Recent reports concerning disruptions, vandalism, and intimidation surrounding Christmas celebrations in India warrant clear, sober public condemnation. Christmas is a religious festival observed by Indian citizens exercising rights guaranteed by the Constitution. It should not require extraordinary courage to sing carols, gather for prayer, display seasonal decorations, or participate in community events.
Yet, during Christmas week in 2025, multiple incidents were reported across different states. Accounts described the vandalism of Christmas decorations in Raipur, Chhattisgarh (International Christian Concern); the storming of a school in Nalbari, Assam, including the destruction of decorations and burning of a nativity scene (International Christian Concern); and an attack on a children’s carol group in Palakkad, Kerala, in which instruments were reportedly destroyed (International Christian Concern). A compilation and timeline of several such incidents, drawing on multiple news citations, is also available at Wikipedia. Separately, advocacy reporting described a broader climate of threats and false accusations aimed at Christian communities during the same period (Open Doors UK & Ireland).
The constitutional and civic issue
India’s constitutional framework does not permit the policing of religious life by intimidation. Where allegations exist—whether relating to public order, unlawful coercion, or any other offence—the proper response is due process: complaint, investigation, evidence, and adjudication. Vigilantism is not a substitute for law, and it must not be allowed to present itself as moral or patriotic conduct.
Equally, the role of the state is not merely reactive. Law enforcement and district administrations have an affirmative responsibility to prevent foreseeable intimidation during public religious observances, and to act decisively when violence, vandalism, or threats occur. When attacks are permitted to unfold in public spaces—or when response appears hesitant—confidence in equal citizenship is weakened.
What must be done
A credible response requires more than generic statements. It requires visible, practical measures:
- Unambiguous condemnation by political and administrative leadership of attacks on religious minorities and disruptions of worship or celebration.
- Prompt registration of cases, identification of perpetrators, and prosecution under applicable provisions relating to vandalism, unlawful assembly, intimidation, and assault.
- Administrative accountability where police presence fails to prevent predictable disruption, or where complaints are dismissed without adequate inquiry.
- Equal protection protocols during major religious festivals for all communities, so that safety does not depend on local discretion or political pressure.
A final point of principle
This is not solely a concern for Christians, nor is it limited to one holiday. The issue is whether India will uphold a public order defined by law and equal rights, or drift toward a public order shaped by threat and exclusion. A society that cannot accommodate peaceful religious celebration—whether Christmas, Eid, Diwali, Gurpurab, or any other observance—without harassment is not defending its traditions. It is abandoning its constitutional character.
The appropriate response, therefore, is firm and immediate: protect citizens equally, enforce the law without hesitation, and reject the normalisation of intimidation as a feature of public life.
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