Six Christian families evicted from their homes in Chhattisgarh

Six Christian families belonging to the Adivasi group in Sukma District in India’s Chhattisgarh State were evicted from their homes with their belongings for two days from 12 April.

At about 4.30pm on 12 April nine village councils (panchayats) in Sukma convened a meeting in which they decided to expel 13 Christian families if they refused to return to their indigenous faith, claiming that conversion to Christianity was destroying their ancient beliefs and traditions.

The 13 families were called to the council and given an opportunity to speak. Seven families decided to convert back to the indigenous faith. However, six men – Poonam Vinay, Kursam Jagaiya, Salvam Pale, Kako Rame, Kako Joga and Butar Singa – along with their families, refused to do so and said they would not renounce their faith even if it meant death. The council then mandated that the six families would be expelled from their villages.

According to a local source, the chief of the council also stated that apart from administrative duties, it is also the duty of the council to preserve and protect the traditions of their society.

Acting on the authority of the council, a group of villagers entered the families’ houses, all of them in Karingundam village, removed their belongings, loaded them on a tractor and forced them from the village. At least 25 individuals were affected, and the families, including young children, were forced to spend the night in an open forest.

On 13 April, the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) brought the six families back to Karingundam, but the villagers did not allow them to enter their homes, prompting the families to take shelter at a local church. On 14 April, the CRPF initiated talks with the villagers again, explaining the constitutional rights that are guaranteed to all citizens and warning that legal action would be taken against the villagers if the families were not allowed back to the village. The families were then safely brought back to their homes.

Sukma District has seen several cases of Christians being ostracised in indigenous communities. In November 2024 , eight village councils passed a joint resolution to prohibit Christians from staying in their villages, impacting nearly 100 Christians. In addition, the United Christian Forum (UCF), a helpline service for persecuted Christians in India, has reported that Chhattisgarh has emerged as a hotspot for targeted attacks on Christians.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is deeply concerned at this ongoing trend of targeting Christians and forcefully removing them from their homes if they do not embrace the will of the majority. India prides itself as a nation that respects different cultures and religions, however the reality on the ground tells another story of fear, intolerance, violence and rejection of religious minorities. While CSW is thankful that the six families have been allowed to return to their homes, it is very worrying that the other families had to renounce their faith, which is a gross violation of their fundamental freedom of religion or belief. We urge the authorities to closely monitor the situation in Sukma District, and to do more to raise awareness about freedom of religion or belief amongst these communities.’