Chhattisgarh church attacks: Long-festering conversion row flares up
Allegations of conversions led to the vandalization of a church and an attack on the police who tried to intervene; BJP and Congress engaged in mud-slinging
The festering allegation of forced conversions to Christianity sparked violence in Narayanpur on January 2, leading to the vandalisation of a church and an attack on the police who tried to intervene.
The incident has led to a predictable political slugfest. The BJP has blamed the Congress, which runs the state government, for the trouble while the latter accuses the opposition party of fomenting tensions.
Narayanpur Superintendent of Police, Sadanand Kumar, was attacked from behind when he tried to settle a row after a large group of tribals tried to attack the Sacred Heart Church in Edka village, about 300 km from Raipur. Eventually, the church in Vishwa Dipti Christian School was vandalised.
The church’s glass windows were smashed. The mob also destroyed its altar, crucifix and statues. The furniture was broken. Also vandalised was the presbytery in the village. To get in, the vandals broke open the doors after heavily stoning them.
Violence against church
Church sources allege that more than 1,000 tribals who have embraced Christianity have been forced to leave their villages around Narayanpur city in recent months due to simmering tensions and threats.
Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur in Raipur alleged that the violence had nothing to do with conversion. “It is a clear case of law and order problem,” he told The Federal. He further said the police took no action against mobs which attacked Christians earlier. “Now they are fearlessly attacking us,” he added.
A fact-finding team put together by the Mumbai-based Centre for Study of Society and Secularism came to the same conclusion after visiting affected areas in both Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts in Chhattisgarh. After meeting victims housed in relief camps and talking extensively to people there on both sides of the divide as well as the local administration, the team concluded that there was an organised campaign to forcibly convert Christian Adivasis to Hindu religion.
Truth is bitter
In its report, the team quoted Dhantaraj Tandon of the Sarva Anusuchit Jati Samaj as saying that RSS campaigns must be blamed for the attacks on Christian tribals. The allegation was reinforced by Bangaram Sodi, President of Sarva Adivasi Samaj.
Also read: Chhattisgarh: Tribal Christians forced to flee homes, attacked, says civil rights group
The fact-finding team – which included Mumbai-based Irfan Engineer – too underlined that officials ignored early warnings including threats and intimidation of Christian tribals that began to escalate in October. The team demanded action against those who indulged in violence and steps to facilitate the return of displaced villagers to their homes.
The BJP claims that religious conversion in tribal-dominated areas has increased under the Congress government’s watch.
BJP veteran and former Chief Minister Raman Singh said: “The Narayanpur incident could have been averted had the police and administration acted in time over complaints of alleged atrocities by Christian missionaries on local tribal people who don’t want to get converted.”
BJP-Congress war of words
Reacting sharply, state government spokesperson and Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey said religious conversions were not taking place in the state as alleged by the BJP. He accused the BJP of trying to create tension among the communities for political gains.
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The police said the Narayanpur incident happened when a group of tribals staged a demonstration to protest against a clash that took place over alleged “religious conversion” in Gorra village.
Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu said the police had increased security around the church and other sensitive areas and the situation was peaceful now. The police are patrolling areas like Shantinagar, Banglapara and Bakhrupara, he said. The Narayanpur district administration has closed schools and colleges as a preventive measure.
Widening rift
Narayanpur Sarva Adivasi Samaj’s Heera Singh Dehari said that tensions have been building up for two or three months. Conversions of tribals had been taking place even before the formation of Chhattisgarh but the issue came to the fore in a big way in villages of the sprawling Bastar division after the state was born, he added.
According to him, tribals were embracing Christianity even when the BJP ruled Chhattisgarh for 15 long years.
Dehari said the rift between various tribals had widened as an “organisation” with political support was fanning the differences. It was a clear allusion to the RSS. “Ultimately, both sides are our own brothers. It is unfortunate that they are developing enmity”, he said.
Conversions – then and now
A tribal leader from Bijapur district also said on condition of anonymity that conversions took place during the BJP regime too.
Also read: Kerala Christians’ beef with Muslims proof of BJP’s divide-and-rule policy
He said that in Karkeli, conversions have triggered tension. The non-converted tribals had approached the police to complain against the converted tribals but no FIR was lodged, he added.
A social activist added that the Narayanpur incident was the tip of an iceberg. According to him, more villages were facing trouble “and anything can happen any time”. The BJP, he alleged, was trying to derive mileage from the issue as elections are scheduled by end of 2023 in the state.
