Kolkata celebrated Christmas with fervor, featuring lights on Park Street and the 15th Kolkata Christmas Festival upholding traditions like Boro Din. In contrast, states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan saw attacks on Christians, including harassment of Santa cap sellers and threats to worshippers in churches. These incidents raise concerns over religious freedom.
Derek O’Brien describes two contrasting Christmases in India. In Kolkata, Park Street—now Mother Teresa Sarani—turned pedestrian-only, with carol singing in parks and festive lights illuminating the city’s main thoroughfare. The 15th Kolkata Christmas Festival preserved the centuries-old tradition of Boro Din in Bengali, featuring lights, decorations, food, and music that drew everyone in.
Elsewhere, Christmas turned fearful. Roadside Santa Claus cap sellers faced harassment, wearers were beaten, Christmas trees in malls were torn down, New Year decorations ransacked, and worshipping congregations threatened.
Gujarat-based Jesuit priest Father Cedric Prakash stated, “What is happening to Christians in India today is not only unacceptable but blatantly unconstitutional. This is hypocritical. On one hand the Prime Minister pretends that all is well and does photo-ops in churches on Christmas Day, and then does not condemn the attacks on religious and social symbols associated with Christmas.” The head of India’s largest Catholic bishops’ body issued a video message: “Peaceful carol singers and faithful gathered in churches have been targeted, causing fear and distress among law-abiding citizens who seek only to celebrate their faith in peace. Such incidents deeply wound the spirit of our Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. I unequivocally condemn these acts of hatred and violence.”
The Christian community contributes significantly to education and healthcare. Around 6 crore students enroll in 54,000 Christian-run institutions annually, with at least three-quarters being non-Christians—Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Sikh, or Buddhist. Notable alumni include Union ministers like J P Nadda, Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and L K Advani.
In healthcare, the community serves about 2 percent of India’s population, with 80 percent of efforts in remote, underserved areas. During the pandemic, over 1,000 hospitals provided 60,000 inpatient beds. The Catholic Health Association of India, the largest non-governmental network, includes 3,500 institutions, 76,000 health professionals, 25,000 nurses, 10,000 paramedics, and 15,000 social workers.
Supreme Court advocate Colin Gonsalves noted, “From the Kandhamal riots till today, allegations against Christians persist, but no court has convicted anyone for forced conversions. It’s political propaganda escalating to violence. There are 600 attacks on Christians per year, akin to terrorism. If the judiciary remains silent, these acts continue unchecked.”