Christians in the Bastar region are once again being denied permission to bury their dead, according to reports from Narayanpur district in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
Christian Today spoke to Phulsingh Kachlam, a local Christian civil society leader and politician from Narayanpur, who confirmed that at least five incidents have taken place since November 10 in which Christians have been prevented from bury their dead.
“The latest incident took place day before yesterday, in which police and Tehsildar officials indulged in violence and forcibly took away the body of Sukhram, a local tribal Christian of Koliyari village, after local Hindus and other villagers opposed his burial,” Kachlam says.
The crowd protesting Sukhram’s burial would not allow his family to bury him on their own land, Kachlam said. Additionally, the crowd opposed burial anywhere in or around the village unless the family renounced their Christian faith.
It is normal for tribal communities to bury their dead, and tribes who embraced Christianity continued to practice burial.
Sukhram’s body was taken by authorities to the town of Narayanpur, where he was buried in the absence of his family members, according to a local Christian leader who wished to remain anonymous.
“Sukhram’s family was pressured by authorities and police to sign a statement saying they had given consent for his body to be buried in Narayanpur town and not in their own village . But they didn’t sign anything,” he added.
The disturbances at Sukhram’s funeral and previous incidents forced Kachlam to submit a memorandum to the Narayanpur district collector on November 20, stating that tribal and non-tribal families who believe in Christianity are not allowed to bury their dead on their own land. . The memorandum also lists recent incidents and directs the district collector to take notice of the incidents mentioned and provide assistance to the victim as soon as possible. He also advocated strict action against anti-social elements disrupting social harmony. Kachlam, who recently contested elections to the state Legislative Assembly as an Indian Community Party candidate, issued the memorandum on the party’s letterhead.
The incidents listed in the memorandum are as follows (translated):
1. On 11/10/2023, the burial of the dead body of a person named Manak Salaam was prevented at Sulenga Dhaudai village.
2. On 11/11/2023, Nakul’s body was not buried for two days in Chotedongar village, after which he was finally buried outside the village.
3. On 11/12/2023, the dead body of a woman named Ramshila from Keralapal village could not be buried.
4. On 14/11/2023, the body of a woman named Massi Salaam/Sanju Salam from Garaji village could not be buried.
5. On 20/11/2023, the dead body of Sukhram, Village-Koliyari was prevented from being buried and the situation remains controversial.
Kachlam says the violence that erupted in the region last year around this time was preceded by many such incidents in which Christians were opposed and threatened when they wanted to bury their dead, and in many cases, the situation even became violent.
In December last year, over 2,000 Christians, mainly from Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts, were forced to flee their homes and properties and take shelter in Narayanpur and Kondagaon towns after incidents of violence were reported against Christians during the months of December 2022 and January 2023. these neighborhoods.
Neighboring Kanker district also saw some violence against Christians, but it was not as severe as Narayanpur and Kondagaon. December 18, 2022 marked one of the darkest days for tribal Christians as they suffered brutal beatings and were forcibly evicted from their homes in 20 villages across the two districts.
The violence was not sudden but intensified between September and October 2022, according to local Christian leaders in the districts. The surge took place in December and continued through January of this year.
“We have received reports that Christians in Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts have been harassed by denying them permission to bury their dead throughout 2022, especially during the second half of the year. year. We also heard cases of Christians summoned to village council meetings in both districts, where they were forced to renounce their faith. But nothing prepared us for the violence and pressure that was unleashed against Christians in the region in December,” said Rev. Vijayesh Lal, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India.
Lal says EFI had written to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on December 19, 2022, and the call was hand-delivered to him while he was in Delhi, but little came of it even though Baghel had promised to act. .
“As Christmas approaches, we fear a repeat of the violence that occurred last year. I hope the government will take proactive steps to check this,” says Kachlam.
Originally published on Christian today in India
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