“These two sentiments may seem paradoxical, but for many Indians they are not. Indeed, many take both positions, saying it is important to be tolerant of others and expressing a desire to limit personal connections across religious lines,” Pew wrote in reporting its findings from the study canvassing 30,000 Indian residents November 2019 to March 2020. “Across the major religious groups, most people say it is very important to respect all religions to be ‘truly Indian.’”
But Open Doors, in ranking India as the 10th most dangerous place for Christians, described violence as extreme, with very high or extreme levels of pressure in all spheres of life, including the church, community, family and private lives. Open Doors pinpointed Hindu extremists as perpetrators of violence against Christians.
“The persecution of Christians in India has intensified, as Hindu extremists aim to cleanse the country of their presence and influence,” Open Doors wrote in its January report. “The extremists disregard Indian Christians and other religious minorities as true Indians, and think the country should be purified of non-Hindus.
“This has led to a systemic – and often violent – targeting of Christians and other religious minorities, including use of social media to spread disinformation and stir up hatred.”
This article originally appeared on BaptistPress.com.