India: Supreme Court decision – pray now!

Today, Monday (11 July), India’s Supreme Court is due to look at the ‘sinister phenomena of violence’ and ‘targeted hate speech’ against the Christians in many parts of the country. In May, there were more than 57 attacks against believers.

The petition was filed in March by Archbishop of Bangalore, Dr Peter Machado, together with the National Solidarity Forum and the Evangelical Fellowship of India. The Chief Justice, however, refused an early hearing as there was ‘no urgency’.

However, Colin Gonsalves – who is the Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India and the founder of Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) – has since brought the petition to the attention of the vacation bench, which hears cases while the Supreme Court is on summer break.

He has asked justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala for an urgent listing, saying that the number of attacks on Christians is increasing every month, as reported in India’s legal news site LiveLaw. In May alone, a record 57 cases had been reported, Consalves reportedly told the bench.

“What you are saying is unfortunate, if it is happening every day,” Justice Surya Kant was quoted as saying by LiveLaw. “What we can ensure is that your matter is listed on the re-opening day itself.”

In their application, the petitioners asked the Supreme Court for the creation of a special investigations teams to register criminal cases and prosecute groups responsible for attacks on Christians, provide police protection for believers under threat, and identify and prosecute political and social groups responsible for violence against Christians.

Increasing violence against Christians

The number of cases of violence against Christians in many parts of India has risen sharply in recent years. According to the United Christian Forum, 2021 was ‘the most violent year for Christians in India’, with 486 reported cases of violence against Christians (an increase of 75% from 2020). However, as reporting a crime in India is a challenge, the actual number might be higher.