Published on November 28, 2023, 2:33 am
Image source: Fox News
[{"TLDR": "Religious intolerance in India's Bastar region is causing disruption and strife, particularly impacting Christians who are being denied the right to bury their dead. Numerous instances have seen Christian families pressured to renounce their religious beliefs for permission to perform burials. This issue is rooted deeply within the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh where local Hindu objections have led to confiscations of bodies and prevention of burials. Attempts at communication with authorities for intervention and assurance of rights has yet to yield significant assistance or change. In prior months, this escalating religious tension has led to violence, forced evictions, and displacement of mostly tribal Christian communities."}]}
In the most recent manifestation of religious intolerance, Christians in the Bastar region are facing continued denial of their right to a peaceful burial for their dead. This is not an isolated instance but part of a series of disturbing events that have taken place since November 10 and are deeply rooted in the Narayanpur district in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
Phulsingh Kachlam, a prominent local Christian civil society leader and politician from Narayanpur, reports five separate incidents where Christians were hindered from burying their loved ones. The most recent case involved the local authorities forcibly confiscating the dead body of Sukhram, a tribal Christian native to Koliyari village after objections raised by local Hindus and other villagers against his burial.
Kachlam noted that Sukhram’s family was barred not only from burying him in their property but anywhere else within or around the village unless they renounced their Christian beliefs. Consequently, Sukhram’s body was conveyed by officials to Narayanpur town and buried without his family members’ presence. The authorities tried to pressure Sukhram’s kin into signing an agreement consenting to this decision but got no formal consent.
Such incidents led Kachlam to submit a memorandum on November 20th to the District Collector of Narayanpur highlighting that Christian families — both tribal and non-tribal —were being denied rights to bury their deceased on owned lands. His statement requested immediate intervention and stringent actions against those disrupting communal peace.
Around this time last year, similar conflicts ignited widespread violence forcing over 2,000 mostly tribal Christians across Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts to flee and find shelter in the municipal towns, following recurring onslaughts on Christians in these areas throughout December 2022 till January 2023.
The nearby Kanker district also noted aggression towards Christians, yet less severe by comparison. December 18th stood as a dark day for tribal Christians when reports of brutal attacks and forced evictions from homes in almost 20 villages made headlines. The violence observed was the culmination of simmering religious tensions beginning late September-October, according to local Christian leaders.
Meanwhile, Rev. Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, recalled writing to Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh about the situation in December 19 last year, but so far without substantial redressal despite Baghel’s assurances.
Breaking real news from trusted sources anchored in a Christian worldview showcases rampant religious intolerance threatening communal peace as Christmas approaches—a time renowned for its message of love, peace, and harmony. As the season draws near once more, continued vigilance is needed to prevent past instances of violence from recurring and affecting innocent lives.
Original article posted by Fox News
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