Mob attacks Christian prayer meeting in Odisha

A mob of approximately 300–400 individuals linked to Hindu nationalist groups attacked a Christian prayer gathering in Matapaka Village in the Malkangiri District of India’s Odisha State on 20 June.

The attackers, armed with axes, iron rods and other weapons, disrupted a peaceful seed blessing ceremony held for the upcoming agricultural season. The attack left at least 28 Christians injured, with most requiring urgent medical treatment at Malkangiri District Hospital due to severe injuries.

The attackers falsely accused the Christian community of engaging in forceful conversions, an unfounded claim often used to justify attacks on religious minorities in India.

A First Information Report (FIR), which is required for the police to open an investigation, was registered in Katamateru village police station, under whose jurisdiction the village falls, on 22 June. No arrests have been made to date.

On 24 June a delegation from the Council of Evangelical Churches in India (CECI), the Progressive Christian Alliance (PCA), the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the Rashtriya Christian Morcha (RCM) and the Malkangiri District Christian Mancha (MDCM) visited the victims in Matapaka to offer support. Accompanied by legal representatives, the delegation met with the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Malkangiri to demand the immediate arrest of the perpetrators. The SP responded by stating that action would follow the receipt of a medical report and a planned meeting aimed at finding some form of compromise between the victims and attackers.

On 2 July approximately 7,000 people joined a rally in Malkangiri to protest the inaction of the police and to demand the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

According to the United Christian Forum (UCF), a helpline and monitoring group, violence against the Christians across India has increased, with 834 recorded incidents in 2024 compared to 731 in 2023. According to a local source, the Christian community in Odisha’s tribal belt has faced increasing hostility since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power in the state in June 2024.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is highly concerned at the recent attack on Christians in Matapaka, Odisha, and particularly by the local police’s failure thus far to have held any perpetrators to account. We call on district and state authorities to ensure that justice is served, and urge India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to increase efforts to crack down on those responsible for the dangerous rhetoric and hate speech that emboldens extremists and Hindu nationalist groups to attack religious minority communities with impunity.’

Note to Editors:

1. The number of incidents recorded by the UCF only includes those reported on the organisation’s helpline, therefore the true number of incidents is likely to be much higher.