Conversion row in Chhattisgarh: 26 tribal households socially boycotted | India Information
3 min learnRaipurJun 25, 2026 10:54 PM IST
Tensions over conversion are escalating in a village in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur, the place the social boycott of 26 households has led to a police deployment, with the households claiming they’ve obtained a 30-day ultimatum to “return to the tribal tradition”.
In line with locals, communal tensions have been simmering in Bharanda village since final December, when objections to Christian prayers allegedly led to a mob assault on an area resident.
In line with locals, the tensions adopted a dispute over burial rights in Badetevda village in neighbouring Kanker district that triggered communal clashes on December 16, 17 and 18. They are saying the violence fuelled tensions in components of Kanker in addition to Bharanda village in neighbouring Narayanpur district.
On Tuesday, a conversion-related dispute triggered a standoff within the village, resulting in the deployment of 100 police personnel. It was adopted by 12 hours of negotiations between the villagers. Whereas district authorities stated they managed to dealer peace, some village leaders claimed the transformed households had been given “a month’s time to return to the tribal tradition”.
In line with locals, communal tensions have been simmering in Bharanda village since final December. (Credit score: Particular Association)
In line with officers, it took 13 rounds of talks to dealer peace. “We did a peace assembly and now scenario is beneath management. We’re conserving a watch on the village,” stated Narayanpur SP Robinson Guria.
In line with the affected households, the most recent standoff is the fruits of a collection of disputes the village has witnessed over the previous month. On June 9, a pastor and his spouse, who had come to the village, had been booked by police for “hurting non secular sentiments” following allegations of non secular conversion. On June 21, one other such dispute compelled a household to flee into the jungle, prompting police intervention.
Residents say fears of reprisals have grown for the reason that June 23 standoff. “For the primary time, villagers referred to as for a boycott,” one resident stated. “There was a time when non-Christian villagers would, out of concern, ask us to hope at residence as a result of the Church is 10 km away. Now, they object to that.”
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A village resident who was amongst those that referred to as for the boycott confirmed the 30-day ultimatum, saying: “If they don’t return to our tradition, we can have one other assembly and resolve the additional plan of action.”
The event comes amid an increase in such standoffs in Chhattisgarh, with related incidents reported over the previous few years from Bastar, Narayanpur, Kanker and Kondagaon districts.
In November 2024, round 500 folks had been compelled to spend a number of days on the Narayanpur indoor stadium following an identical backlash towards “Christian practices”.
Violence had additionally erupted in January 2023, when a mob of tribals and right-wing teams vandalised a church inside a college. The mob additionally attacked a number of police personnel, together with the then Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar.
A BJP chief was arrested within the case.
