West Bengal Christian persecution cases have become the focus of a memorandum submitted by Bangiya Christiya Pariseba, which has alleged 26 incidents over the past three months and sought intervention from state leadership over security concerns affecting Christians, churches and community institutions.
The memorandum, dated September 17 and signed by the organisation’s founding state secretary Herod Mullick, was submitted to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, according to the forum. Bangiya Christiya Pariseba, which describes itself as representing more than 1.3 million Catholic and non-Catholic Christians in West Bengal, has requested an urgent meeting with the chief minister along with clergy and community leaders.
The forum said 11 of the 26 cases it recorded had resulted in the registration of first information reports. It also claimed that several other incidents remained unreported. The organisation has sought directions to district police to register complaints without delay and conduct impartial investigations.
In its memorandum, the forum alleged that Christians, churches and community institutions in several districts were facing what it described as “systematic false narratives, malicious propaganda, physical violence, and targeted harassment”. The organisation said the community was experiencing a growing sense of vulnerability and called for the alleged incidents to be examined through official channels.
The memorandum also alleged administrative inaction, claiming that some victims had been “blocked or discouraged” from filing FIRs. The forum has asked the state government to ensure that complaints are accepted promptly and that investigations are conducted without bias. These allegations were made by the organisation in its memorandum and have not been independently assessed in the material supplied for this report.
Among its other demands, Bangiya Christiya Pariseba has sought adequate police protection for vulnerable churches and prayer halls. It has also requested safeguards against action based on what it termed “unverified fundamentalist propaganda”.
The forum expressed concern over attempts by public figures to justify vigilante actions as “public protests”. It has said that a delegation of clergy and community representatives would present what it described as verified facts during a proposed meeting with the chief minister.
The claims place responsibility on district police and the state administration to address complaints, assess the reported incidents and determine whether criminal offences have occurred. The memorandum does not establish the legal outcome of the 26 cases beyond stating that 11 FIRs have been registered.
The next step sought by the organisation is an urgent meeting with the chief minister and directions to district authorities on complaint registration, investigation and protection for churches and prayer halls.
