By Aliza Noor
“I was very depressed. For days, I could not stop thinking about how I was assaulted on Christmas,” said Safalta Kartik. Kartik has been visually-impaired since childhood. Though she cannot see, the day of the attack is an image her mind and body has refused to forget. “The video of my assault went viral, I kept thinking: How will I face this?”
Kartik is referring to 20 December 2025 when the then-BJP Jabalpur District President Anju Bhargava verbally and physically attacked her during a pre-Christmas lunch. The act was captured on camera and met with outrage.
But Kartik’s case is not an isolated one. It tells the story of rising hate crimes against Christians in Madhya Pradesh — who make up less than 1% of the total population in the state (2011 census).
Kartik is not a Christian, she belongs to the Katiya community (SC). Every year, she attended Christmas lunch organised by Pastor Dharmendra Jena. But now Bhargava’s words: “You will be born blind in the next life too,” echo in her mind repeatedly, she said.
Her case had a ripple effect on the Christian community in Madhya Pradesh. “The entire Masih community lives in fear now,” said Pastor Jena.
The Quint went on ground and travelled through several districts such as Jabalpur and Bhopal to unpack why the attacks against Christians have increased over the years and examine the socio-economic impact these attacks are having.
This story was originally published in thequint.com. Read the full story here.