Christmas marred by vandalism, threats across MP, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Delhi

“Along with the incident in the school, the same group of people also went to a shop in a market in Nalbari town, where items like Santa caps and masks were being sold, and burned them. There appears to have been around nine people in the group,” the SSP said.

Fr. James Vadakeyil from the Diocese of Bongaigaon, under which the school falls, said that the establishment was empty at the time, as the school is closed for winter holidays. It has around 1,000 students and was opened in 2010.

“At around 3 pm, a group of people came in looking for the principal, but he wasn’t there. So they went around and vandalised the nativity crib and all other Christmas decorations. There was a big banner that had been put up for admission, which they destroyed too. They dismantled and burned the decorations while shouting slogans,” he said.

In videos of the incident, the group can purportedly be heard shouting Bajrang Dal slogans as well as slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Hindu Rashtra’.

By Thursday evening, four people had been arrested on charges including criminal trespass, causing mischief by injury or fire, and criminal intimidation. According to a statement by the Nalbari district administration, the arrested men include VHP district secretary Bhaskar Deka, district vice-president Manash Jyoti Patgiri, assistant secretary Biju Dutta and Bajrang Dal district convener Nayan Talukdar.

VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment.

The same day, in Chhattisgarh, a mob armed with sticks barged into the Magneto Mall in the state capital Raipur and vandalised Christmas decorations and installations

A day-long ‘Chhattisgarh bandh’ had been called on Wednesday by the Sarva Hindu Samaj against alleged religious conversions. A mall employee said “80-90 people barged in” and went on a rampage.

Police said an FIR has been filed. “No arrest has been made so far. Our probe is on to identify the accused,” Raipur Senior Superintendent of police Lal Umed Singh said.

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP’s Jabalpur district vice-president Anju Bhargava allegedly manhandled a visually impaired woman after she entered the church premises in Katanga area on Saturday, claiming that children were being converted to Christianity.

While police have not filed an FIR in connection with the case, the Jabalpur BJP unit has issued a show-cause notice to Bhargava. Mahanagar president Rakesh Sonkar said she has been given seven days “to explain her conduct”.

The visually impaired woman told The Indian Express, “Just because I come to celebrate Christmas doesn’t mean I have changed my religion.”

Jabalpur also saw another incident on Sunday morning, when a prayer service at a church in Madhotal was disrupted by members of a right-wing organisation. Members of the Hindu Seva Parishad claimed they had received information about an unusually large gathering, including attendees from other districts. They claimed they were questioning potential religious conversion activities when violence erupted.

But those present at the service said 15 to 20 men forcibly entered the church during prayers, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and creating panic among the congregation. Police said several youths were detained for creating a disturbance, and investigators are working to establish the sequence of events based on testimonies from both sides.

In Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, the education department barred schools from “forcing” children to dress up as Santa Claus on Christmas. A December 22 order stated, “Bharat Tibet Sahayog Manch has submitted a letter… stating that for the past few years, children are being made (to dress up as) Santa Claus on Christmas day in schools, whereas Sri Ganganagar district is a Sanatana (Hindu and Sikh) dominated area.”

“Christian families are almost non-existent here. In such a situation, organising such programmes in schools and putting unnecessary pressure on children is not always justified. If information is received about pressure on children to become Santa Claus on Christmas day in any school, then the department will take action as per rules,” it stated.

From Delhi, a video came to light on Monday, purportedly showing a group of women wearing Santa Claus caps being heckled, allegedly by Bajrang Dal members, in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar. The video showed the men accusing the women of religious proselytisation and forcing them to leave.

Police said they had not received a complaint and that the incident was “a minor and momentary verbal disagreement between individuals”.

“The matter was amicably resolved on the spot by the individuals involved, without any escalation. Preliminary verification indicates that the issue was personal and isolated in nature,” DCP (South East) Hemant Tiwari said.