The 2021 anti-Christian violence in Karnataka refers to the series violence against Christians by right wing Hindutva groups in the Indian state of Karnataka in 2021. The attacks increased after September 2021 when leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared of an "anti-conversion bill" in the state to check religious conversions. The violence again intensified over the Christmas period when right-wing mobs disrupted Christmas celebrations.[1][2] The Human rights organisation, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) documented 39 violent incidents against Christians in Karnataka from January to November 2021, all carried out by Hindutva organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Jagrana Vedike, Bajrang Dal, and Banjara Nigama.[3][4][5] The violence included physical assaults, sexual assaults against women, church vandalism, filming the attacks and later circulating the videos to celebrate.[6][7]
Christians belonging to the Dalit and adivasi communities were the most affected.[2] In many cases, the local administration and the police told Christians to stop holding prayer meetings in order to avert violence by right wing groups.[1][8] The PUCL reported that the local police and the local Kannada media had collaborated with Hindutva activists during the attacks.[6] The report also stated that the perpetrators abused their victims with casteist slurs in almost all of their attacks.[5][7]
In 1971, Christians accounted for 2.09 percent of Karnataka's population and 2.60 percent of India's population while in 2011, the Christian population decreased to 1.87 percent of the Karnataka's population and 2.3 percent of India's population.[1] Attacks against Christians all over India increased since the BJP regime took over the country in 2014.[9]
Activists alleged that the number of vigilantism increased after Basavaraj Bommai took office as the Chief minister of Karnataka in July 2021.[10] According to the Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum, over 120 communal incidents occurred in the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada of Coastal Karnataka in 2021, the highest number in the previous four years.[11]
There was a significant increase in vigilante attacks against Christians all over the country in December 2021, including many attacks by Hindutva organizations.[12] A number of these were carried out by mobs organized by Hindu right-wing outfits, especially on the basis of accusations of religious conversion. The majority of these occurred in BJP-ruled states.[13]
The issue of forcible conversions gained momentum since September 2021 when a BJP politician, Goolihatti Shekhar from Hosadurga, claimed that there was a huge number of forced conversions to Christianity had occurred in his constituency including his mother. However, officials conducted a survey in Hosadurga and concluded that there was no forcible act of religious conversion and Christians attend prayers in Churches voluntarily and without coercion. The tehsildar who conducted the investigation was transferred out on December 16 without any posting.[10][1][14] On October 16, the Karnataka's Intelligence Department issued a directive to top police and intelligence officers in Karnataka to acquire information on "authorized and unauthorised" churches.[15] The police department, which is overseen by the Home Minister of Karnataka, Araga Jnanendra, concluded that no unauthorised churches exist inside any of the district boundaries in Karnataka.[16]
In the aftermath of numerous attacks on churches by right-wing organizations, the BJP administration was able to get the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2021 or anti-conversion law passed in the lower house of the state legislature on December 23, 2021, in the winter session in Belagavi.[17][18] The bill makes it illegal to convert a person by deception, undue influence, force, allurement, coercion or any other fraudulent methods. It prohibits conversion for marriage, a long-standing demand of right-wingers who claimed of an increase in the Love jihad conspiracy.[19][20] Conversion to Hinduism has been excluded since the BJP claimed it is about the return of Hindus who have accepted a foreign religion.[20] The Bill seeks a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for forced religious conversion of minors, women and persons from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.[21]
Several parties, including the Christian community and human rights groups opposed the Bill, alleging that it might be abused to target religious minorities.[22] The New York Times reported that the anti-conversion laws are part of the BJP's strategy of using religion to polarize the people and gain support from the Hindu majority.[23]
A series of attacks were carried out by right wing Hindu groups and vigilante groups against Christians in Karnataka in 2021.[24] The attacks increased after September 2021 when leaders of BJP including Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai declared of an "anti-conversion" bill in the state to check religious conversions. The violence intensified over the Christmas period when right-wing Hindu mobs disrupted Christmas celebrations. The Majority of the attacks were carried out by the suspected members of the RSS, Bajrang Dal, Banjara Nigama and the Hindu Jagaran Vedike (HJV).[1] Incidents of Hindutva activists affiliated to right-wing organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and Sri Rama Sene barging into churches and Christian prayer halls were reported across several places including Udupi, Chikballapur, Kodagu, Belagavi, Kanakapura and Arsikere.[25]
Christians belonging to the Dalit and adivasi community were the most affected. Preachers claimed that many attacks were carried out by dominant caste individuals and in some cases the attackers used casteist slurs against them.[2] In many cases, the local administration and the police told Christians to stop holding prayer meetings in order to avert violence by right wing groups.[1][8] Many Christians faced social boycotts and threats.[1]
According to a fact-finding report released in December 2021 by numerous civil society organizations, Karnataka has one of the highest incidence of attacks on Christians.[31][45] According to the report, Karnataka ranks third in India in terms of the number of attacks against the Christians and their religious sites after Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.[46]
The Human rights organisation, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) published a report titled "Criminalising Practice of Faith- A Report" on hate crimes against Christians in Karnataka.[3] The report documented 39 violent incidents against Christians in Karnataka from January to November 2021. These incidents occurred at churches and prayer halls throughout the state, with Belagavi in northern Karnataka having the largest number of incidences. The report noted that in nearly every case of mob violence, the police actively attempted to criminalize the lives of Christians and prevent them from holding prayer meetings.[4] The perpetrators are all Hindutva organizations, such as the RSS, Hindu Jagrana Vedike, Bajrang Dal, and a more violent, new organization named Banjara Nigama.[5] Local police have been spotted collaborating with Hindutva extremists to instil fear and hatred towards Christians, and the police frequently looked the other way to incidences of violence, sexual attacks, abuse and social and economic boycotts.[47][48] The report stated that "mass conversion" as claimed by attackers, is an excuse for violence on Churches and Christians.[6]
It reported that major Kannada news agencies such as Asianet Suvarna News, TV 5 and Public TV broadcast a mix of false arguments, blatant lies, misleading statements, one-sided reporting and prejudice in favour of Hindutva groups and against Christianity. The study also examined that the mainstream media reporting coordinated with the online activities of Hindutva through videos of the attacks uploaded on social media.[6][4][48]
In nearly every incident, the perpetrators yelled casteist insults and abuse at those present in the prayer meetings.[5] The report said that the attackers hurl casteist slurs since the Christians in rural areas are mostly daily wage workers and labourers from Dalit communities.[7]
The PUCL observed a pattern in the operations of the mob.[7] This includes Hindutva mobs beating people up, vandalizing churches, filming the incidents and then sharing the footage to celebrate a "Hindu victory".[6]