AS THE Indian state of Bihar went to the ballot box on 6 and 11 November, its Christian population of about 129,000 — only 0.12 per cent of the population — faced growing fears. Campaign speeches included promises of jobs, caste equity, and development, but Christians say that their voices and safety concerns remained absent from the political conversation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is locked in a tight contest with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Congress Mahagathbandhan, a situation in which religious minorities find little reassurance. “We feel forgotten,” a pastor from Muzaffarpur said. “There’s no mention of the harassment our people face — churches attacked, pastors detained, prayer meetings disrupted.”
Although Bihar has not enacted an anti-conversion law as Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand have, rights groups say that the national spread of such laws has emboldened vigilantes. Reports from the Evangelical Fellowship of India and the United Christian Forum document more than 840 attacks on Christians nationwide last year, including 21 in Bihar. Between January and July this year, 17 incidents were reported, ranging from mob attacks to threats against Dalit converts.
In Bettiah, home to some of India’s oldest Christian communities, priests describe their anxieties. “We are monitored,” a local Catholic leader says. “Converts are warned not to attend prayers. Some families worship quietly in their homes.”
Many Christians, drawn from marginalised castes, regard the Mahagathbandhan as the safer option, in view of its secular promises. Yet distrust remains. “Nitish Kumar’s alliance with BJP makes us nervous,” Mary Toppo, a voter from the tribal belt of western Bihar, says. “We want assurance that our faith will not be criminalised.”
Political analysts agree that, while the Christian vote lacks numerical strength in the 243-seat state assembly, its experience mirrors a broader national anxiety. “In today’s polarised climate, even small minorities feel the pressure to conform,” Sanjay Kumar, a Patna-based political analyst, says. “Safety, not ideology, shapes their choices.”
This year’s Bihar elections have become a test of India’s secular fabric. For Christians, the act of voting itself is overshadowed by fear. “We don’t seek special privileges,” the unnamed pastor says. “We only want to worship in peace, without being branded as outsiders.”
As the state awaits results on 14 November, the Christians there remain hopeful that democracy may yet offer a measure of dignity and safety in an increasingly divided landscape.