Two Christians denied burial ground in their native village in Chhattisgarh
This comes days after a converted Christian was denied a burial spot at Kodekurse in Kanker district.
The administration intervened but reportedly failed to secure any 'justifiable relief' for the distressed family.
Raman Sahu and his family converted to Christianity a few years ago. He succumbed to illness at Raipur private hospital and was brought to Jewartala village, about 90 km from the state capital, but the locals didn't allow it.
According to eyewitnesses, the villagers firmly obstructed the body from entering the village and set a condition that the last rites would be permitted only according to the village’s traditional rituals.
The police force was deployed to avert any untoward incident as tension prevailed in the region amid raging controversy.
“The family had to finally bury the body at Sankra burial ground away from Jewartala village on Sunday. The villagers didn't allow a burial place owing to the religious conversion (to Christianity) of the family”, Balod district police chief Yogesh Patel told TNIE.
In both instances, the only argument raised by the villagers on not allowing a burial place was that the deceased had embraced Christianity as their faith, the police said.
With the villagers remaining adamant, the administration kept the body in a mortuary as the efforts continued to get the last rites of the deceased be performed.
The district authorities failed to convince the local villagers to resolve the issue.
“The Christians are being blatantly denied their constitutional right of dignified burial at their native places, while the authorities were largely seen as helpless before the mob, who are instigated at the behest of some. As per the law, the area is already earmarked for burial. Article 19 of the Constitution prohibits incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence”, reacted Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum.
Earlier, a resident of Kanker’s Kodekurse village, Manoj Nishad, 25, died on November 5 during treatment in Raipur. He converted to Christianity months ago.
The villagers didn't allow his body to be buried in the private land owned by the Nishad family. The members of the Christian community protested at the local police station, demanding that the body be allowed to be buried in the native village.
Amid the hostile situation prevailing, the villagers in Kodekurse declared that if the family renounced their religion (religious re-conversion), the villagers would not have any issue allowing for performing the last rites.
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