Podcast Summary: Hindutva and Anti-Christian Violence in Contemporary India

Podcast: New Books Network (Nordic Asia Podcast)
Episode: Hindutva and Anti-Christian Violence in Contemporary India
Host: Katinka Froestad
Guests: Sudhir Selvaraj (University of Bradford) & Kenneth Bo Nielsen (University of Oslo)
Date: October 24, 2025

Overview

This episode features an in-depth discussion with Sudhir Selvaraj and Kenneth Bo Nielsen, editors of a new special issue on "Hindutva and Anti-Christian Violence in India" in Commonwealth and Comparative Politics. The conversation explores the rise and changing faces of anti-Christian violence across several Indian states, the dynamics of Hindutva ideology, and the broader historical, political, and social frameworks that drive these conflicts. Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the complexities of religious targeting in India, the evolving tactics and rhetoric of Hindu nationalist movements, and pressing research gaps in this field.

Key Topics and Insights

1. Why Focus on Anti-Christian Violence in India?

• Magnitude and Urgency: Anti-Christian violence has sharply increased—fourfold between 2014 and 2023—aligned with the rule of the BJP government.
• Forms of Violence: Includes attacks on people, churches, and prayer meetings, with 800+ documented incidents in the last year alone.
• Irony and Tragedy: Christianity has never been more indigenized but is also more vilified than ever by Hindu nationalists.
  • Quote (Kenneth):

    "Christianity in India has never been as Indianized as it is today, and yet it's never been as vilified by the Hindu right as it is today." (02:20)

2. Historical Backdrop

• Colonial Roots: Anti-Christian sentiments date to the late 1800s, tied to colonial anxieties and missionary activities.
• Ideological Consistency: The depiction of Christians as "foreign" or "enemies" has persisted from the early 1900s.
• Legal and Structural Violence:
  • 1960s: Introduction of anti-conversion laws in some states.
  • 1990s: Rise in organized attacks, notably the killing of missionary Graham Staines and the 2008 violence in Orissa and Karnataka.
  • Ongoing: Dalit Christians face denial of state protections—a form of structural violence.
    • Quote (Sudhir):

      "Dalit Christians continue to be denied state resources and protections ... a form of structural violence." (04:23)

3. Contemporary Developments and the Role of Social Media

• Synthesis of Violence: Direct, structural, and cultural violence now blend, especially with laws enforced extrajudicially.
• Anti-Conversion Legislation: Target Christian institutions; restrict foreign funding and enforce social exclusion.
• Social Media as a Tool: Used to amplify and normalize anti-Christian rhetoric and violence.
  • Quote (Kenneth):

    "More than half of all Indians rely on social media as their main source of news ... Hindu nationalist groups ... are extremely adept users of social media platforms to spread their worldview." (06:22)

4. Regional Variation in Anti-Christian Violence

• State as Unit of Analysis: Anti-Christian violence and state responses differ widely.
• Case Studies:
  • Orissa & Karnataka: Physical violence, transference and normalization of justification for attacks.
  • Chhattisgarh: Violence occurs even under Congress (supposedly secular) governments, due to "soft Hindutva."
  • Kerala & Goa: Strategies are more subtle—spatial, cultural, and symbolic rather than physical attacks; appeals to shared caste or anti-Muslim identities.
    • Quote (Kenneth):

      "In the case of Goa, the strategy has also been very subtle, cultural and symbolic ... the use of Portuguese colonialism as a kind of dog whistle for Christianity." (10:56)

5. The Paradox of “Secular” Anti-Conversion Laws

• Superficial Neutrality: Laws claim to criminalize all forced conversions but are practically used to target Christians and Muslims.
• Operational Bias: "Returning" to Hinduism is exempt from restriction, revealing implicit bias.
  • Quote (Kenneth):

    "On the surface they seem to be religiously neutral ... but in practice they very much do [discriminate]." (13:40)

6. Continuity & Evolution in Hindu Nationalist Othering

• Historical Continuity: Christians have long been constructed as "the other," yet the intensity, rhetoric, and tactics have increased since the 1990s.
• Regional Tactics: Not a monolithic approach—local context determines the degree (or type) of confrontation or cooptation.

7. Research Challenges and Future Gaps

• Academic Self-Censorship: Rising repression and fear among scholars hamper research—some withdrew contributions due to fear of reprisals.
  • Quote (Kenneth):

    "We actually lost a paper or two along the way because the authors chose to withdraw ... for fear of various forms of more or less direct reprisals ... this kind of preemptive self-censorship is becoming more, more widespread among academics in India." (17:03)

• Need for Comparative, Longitudinal Research: Calls for more comparative studies across state and time; anti-Christian violence is less studied than anti-Muslim violence and demands further inquiry.

Notable Quotes

• Sudhir Selvaraj:

  "Once these justifications are deployed, you can see a blurring of its moral colors and acceptance amongst the general public." (08:16)

• Kenneth Bo Nielsen:

  "You have a chief minister in Goa who will talk about wiping away all the remaining signs of the Portuguese ... so it's not so far-fetched to think that Catholicism is included in this category of Portuguese signs that should somehow be wiped away or erased." (10:56)

• Katinka Froestad:

  "Your special issue presents a very useful bird's eye view of anti Christian violence in India from independence and until today." (16:33)

Important Timestamps

• 00:13 – Episode introduction and guest introductions
• 01:20 – Rising violence and its contemporary urgency
• 03:02 – Historical context and origins of anti-Christian sentiment
• 04:40 – Synthesis of violence forms and use of social media
• 07:23 – Regional/state-level variation in violence
• 09:03 – Detailed analysis of Kerala and Goa cases
• 12:00 – The paradox of "secular" anti-conversion laws
• 14:56 – How othering of Christians has evolved but persists
• 17:00 – Research gaps and academic repression

Tone and Style

The conversation is scholarly yet accessible. The hosts and guests balance analytical rigor with empathetic concern, often referencing both academic theory and current events. Memorable quotes highlight moments of clarity, critique, and personal reflection.

For Further Reading

• The special issue in Commonwealth and Comparative Politics is open access.
• Johann Galtung’s framework on types of violence is frequently referenced.
• Christophe Jaffrelot’s work on Indian politics and minority relations is recommended.

Conclusion

This episode provides an accessible, comprehensive entry point into the study of anti-Christian violence in India. By blending state-level analysis, theoretical depth, and attention to present-day challenges, Selvaraj and Bo Nielsen offer both an important scholarly intervention and a call to action for further research—despite the growing risks to critical inquiry in India today.