INDIA: CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BEING BOYCOTTED FOR 8 MONTHS

In a coastal village in southern India, around 100 Christian families are being socially boycotted. That means they’re being cut off from everyday life—no access to fishing areas, no one buying from their shops, and THEY ARE even being banned from talking to THEIR neighboUrs.

Why is this happening?

Earlier this year, the village decided to build a Hindu temple. Christians declined to contribute, and that led to serious backlash. Avni Reddy, a local partner from Open Doors, explains:

“Generally speaking, when communities in India are asked to contribute towards the building of a Hindu temple, they’re not forced to pay up. It’s not common for Christians or people from other religions to contribute.

“But in this particular case, the people behind the boycott are Hindutva nationalists – it’s an ideology which means that to be truly Indian you have to be Hindu.  

“They are bringing this opposition against Christians as a way of trying to force them to contribute to the temple construction,” he says. “This is the first time that this kind of thing has happened… We’re not sure how long it might go on for.” 

Image: A social boycott in an Indian village is making even every day life difficult for Christians

How are Christians affected?

This extreme form of Hindu nationalism is forcing Christians to either give in or suffer. One fisherman said:

“All these years, we all go together to fish in the boat. But now they don’t allow us to go along with them.”

He now has to travel to another village just to sell fish and feed his family of ten.

Another woman shared how even talking to neighbors could cost her:
“We are not able to talk to people next to our door. If we do so, we will be fined… We are now treated as aliens.”

A widow with five children opened a small shop to survive after her husband died. But because of the boycott, no one comes to buy from her anymore:

“I’ve lost my business. It’s heartbreaking.”

Local leaders refuse to help, and even though Christians have filed a case in court, they have to wait months for a hearing. This situation shows how hard life can be for Christians in India, which is ranked at number 11 on the current World Watch List. Believers have filed a case in the High Court with the help of a Christian lawyer. However, they must wait another two months for a hearing. Please continue to keep our Indian family in your prayers, use the points below.

*Names changed for security reasons