In the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, eight village councils have enacted a resolution banning Christians from residing in their villages, requiring them to either renounce their faith or leave. This order affects approximately 100 Christians, whose property and fields are threatened with confiscation if they do not comply, according to reports.
The villages in Sukma district collectively approved this resolution, instructing Christians to abandon their faith or risk losing all their belongings and property, as reported by the U.K.-based organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide. A local leader from one of the affected villages, Michwar, upheld the decree by asserting that the authority of the village councils supersedes India's Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion under Article 25.
This ban appears to be part of a systematic effort to eradicate Christianity in these areas, forcing at least 40 individuals from their homes, according to Asia News. On November 18, a group of Christians filed a complaint at the Gadiras Police Station, presenting audio evidence of statements made by the village chief of Michwar. However, police refused to register a formal complaint, a necessary step to initiate a legal investigation.
Instead, officers requested that the complainants take them to the fields. Upon arrival, they encountered a mob of approximately 1,500 people who began looting the Christians' crops and demanding their renouncement of Christianity. The police subsequently withdrew without intervening, leaving the community unprotected.
On November 19, representatives from the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum approached the district collector and the superintendent of police to urge action. Authorities suggested filing a complaint, but despite this directive, the registration was delayed until November 21, leaving villagers without immediate recourse following the looting. About 40 villagers whose properties were destroyed are now seeking shelter in a church building in Michwar.
Fr. Thomas Vadakumkara of the Jagadalpur diocese stated, “fundamental rights are systematically denied” to Christians across many districts of Chhattisgarh, explaining that they are denied the right to cultivate their fields, bury their dead, and live on their land.
The violence and forced eviction of Christians from the villages of Sukma occurred amid increasing tensions in the community across India. The United Christian Forum, a Delhi-based organization, reported 673 incidents of violence against Christians in India through October this year, with Chhattisgarh accounting for 139 of these incidents, ranking second only to Uttar Pradesh in reported hate crimes.
In a separate incident on October 30 in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, a group of 14 Christians was reportedly attacked by a mob while police officers observed, according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. Chhattisgarh's Sukma and Dantewada districts are part of the state's tribal belt, where local councils, or panchayats, often wield significant influence.
