Published on July 6, 2024, 12:44 am

Image source: Fox News

In a harrowing incident from rural India, a woman was brutally murdered by her uncle and cousin over disputed ancestral farmland. The suspects, driven by a potent mix of religious prejudice and greed, assaulted the victim, Bindu Sodi with an axe and stones because they believed that her conversion to Christianity renounced her rights to family property.

Sodi lived in Toylanka village, located in Dantewara District, Chhattisgarh state. As the only income earner for her extended family—which included her mother, siblings and their child—Sodi was thrust into an escalating conflict over land ownership with her paternal uncle Chetu Sodi along with his son Kumma Sodi.

The situation became increasingly tense when Bhima Sodi—Bindu’s younger brother—lodged a complaint regarding land encroachment to the local police station upon advice from their pastor Sudru Ram Telam. However, their plea fell on deaf ears as the officials redirected them to the revenue department and village registrar for dispute resolution.

A revenue department officer attempted to intervene by summoning Chetu Sodi but faced firm refusal due to religious bigotry. According to Aarti Mandavi—Bindu’s sister—the uncle informed the registrar that as Christians they had forsaken any claim over family property. Meanwhile, threats turned into actions as Bindu’s uncle continued cultivating sections of Bhima’s land under dispute.

On June 24th evening when Bhima alongside his wife Tulsi and Bindu attempted to cultivate what remained of their land before it was usurped completely by the uncle; they were assaulted under a hail of stones thrown at them by both Chetu Sodi and his son.

Despite pleas for immediate assistance from the local police station being brushed aside under pretext of darkness preventing timely arrival—Tulsi managed to retrieve Bindu’s mobile phone which captured footage of this shocking assault—and receptive action finally taken upon insistence from the head of Tribal Christian Forum.

Unfortunately, by the time police and ambulance arrived, Bindu Sodi had been beaten to death—an atrocity captured on her own mobile phone—leaving behind a haunting testament of violence over religious prejudice.

The aftermath witnessed further display of insensitivity as police pressured the family into conducting the burial almost 20 miles away from their native village—totally disregarding their wish to bury Bindu in her homeland. Pastor Telam said, “Sadly, the police did not take a stand for us nor gave us police protection to conduct the burial in their Homeland”.

The persecutions didn’t stop there. Soon after Bindu’s death her immediate family began receiving threats compelling them to relocate approximately 20 miles from their home village due to fear for their lives.

This sorrowful event sheds light on a reality steeped deep within society: hatred fueled by differences in religion and societal status. The urgency for advocacy interventions protecting religious freedom globally is pressing more than ever.

It’s especially significant noting that India ranks at number 11 according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List showcasing countries where being a Christian is particularly challenging—the scale appearing progressively perilous with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure as evident from deteriorating position since ascending office back in May 2014 echoing reports of amplified intolerance towards non-Hindus across India under his government .