Since 17 November Christians have been banned from eight villages including Michwar (pictured) in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh state, as their village councils passed a joint resolution to this effect. The resolution stated that all Christians who were living in these villages must renounce their faith or leave and declared that if they failed to comply their properties would be looted. It is estimated that around one hundred Christians were living in the eight affected villages – Dabba, Doodhiras, Gonderas, Gurli, Jagadlanar, Kundanpal, Kunna, and Michwar.
Christians are guaranteed the right to freedom of religion or belief under Article 25 of the Indian constitution, but the chief of one of the affected villages claimed this new resolution overruled the constitution.
On 18 November the Christians attempted to file a First Information Report (FIR) at the police station in Michwar and provided audio evidence of what the village chief had said. However, they were refused and instead asked to take the police officers to their farm land. On their arrival the Christians were faced with a mob of at least 1,500 that had looted their harvest and reiterated that they renounce their faith or leave the village. The police left the area without intervening on the Christians’ behalf.
On the next day the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum managed to file a FIR with the Sukma district collector and police superintendent. However, no action was taken until 21 November. Eight families, with about forty members in total, have moved from their looted land and are now sheltering in a church building in Michwar. They are receiving daily meals and provisions from local international NGOs.
CSW’s India team told Baptist Press that “Christian activities are constantly met with resistance. Today in India, particularly in rural areas, Christians are exposed to danger just for being Christians. They never know quite when an attack might happen. The triggers could even be something as simple as Christians gathering in a home for a private prayer meeting or Bible study.”
Regarding the latest expulsions, CSW said they notice a “concerning pattern… in such situations is that when families are driven away from their villages, they lose their base and have to start all over again. Many do not return due to fear of hostility or further attacks.”
Christians beaten in separate incident
A similar yet more violent incident occurred in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on 30 October. Police stood by as 14 Christians were attacked with wooden rods after harvesting crops from a communal farm. Hundreds of people from the local tribal population, known as Adivasis, attacked the Christians for refusing to abandon their faith. Several Christians suffered head trauma and broken bones and their homes and harvest were destroyed in the incident. A police officer who tried to intervene was also injured.
Nagesh Micha, a Christian human rights activist, commented: “The police, which are supposed to uphold the fundamental rights of an individual, have allowed 14 people to be beaten in their presence. This means there are higher authorities who are supporting the mobs.”
(Christian Solidarity Worldwide, International Christian Concern)
Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide