A Christian woman in central India lost her unborn child earlier this month following a brutal attack by tribal relatives who opposed her faith.
According to The Christian Post, Kunika Kashyap, 25, was over six weeks pregnant when she was assaulted on 2nd January by her village headman, Ganga Ram Kashyap, along with his wife and adult daughter.
The attack occurred in Bade Bodal village, Bastar District, Chhattisgarh state, after the headman accused her of praying for a sick relative who is also a Christian.
Kunika was visiting her cousin’s sister, a fellow Christian, when the headman began recording her on his phone, suspecting she might pray.
“He refused to stop filming despite my objections,” Kunika recounted to The Morning Star from her hospital bed.
When she swatted his phone away, he allegedly launched a violent assault.
His wife and daughter joined in, beating her with a wooden bamboo stick, kicking her abdomen, chest, and head.
“It was God’s grace that allowed her to escape,” said her husband, Mandu Ram Kashyap.
Kunika was rushed to the Government District Hospital-Maharani in Jagdalpur, where she was admitted with severe injuries, including chest and abdominal pain, swelling, and bruising on her neck.
Initial medical scans showed the fetus was alive, but she tragically suffered a miscarriage later that evening.
“This was her first pregnancy after two years of marriage,” her husband said.
The couple filed a complaint with local police, but no significant action has been taken.
“The police said they would register a formal case after an investigation, but we’ve heard nothing since,” Mandu said.
Christians in Bade Bodal village have faced ongoing hostility.
Of the approximately 120 families in the village, 50 are Christian, including Kunika and her husband, who have been practicing their faith for over 20 years.
Mandu described systematic discrimination: Christians are forbidden from drawing water at the communal site and are often barred from burying their dead on private property.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), religious freedom for Christians in India has deteriorated sharply.
Attacks against Christians have surged, with many attributing this to the emboldened stance of Hindu extremists.
India now ranks 11th on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List for Christian persecution, a dramatic decline from its position at 31st in 2013.
For Kunika and her husband, the grief of their loss is compounded by the lack of justice. “We pray for peace, but the authorities must take action to protect Christians and hold perpetrators accountable,” Mandu said.