Tension between two groups over burial of Christian tribal women in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar

After a brief lull, tension erupted at a tribal village in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district over the death and burial of a Christian tribal woman leading to provocation from both groups and stone-throwing at the police force on Monday.

However, the situation was brought under control almost after 24 hours and the body was finally buried on Monday. The incident took place in the Parpa region at Bhejpadar village when an elderly woman Mate Bekko died on March 19 and the villagers objected to her body being buried, demanding that the last rites should be performed on a funeral pyre.

While the family of women desired to bury it the next day in the backyard of their house, a group of villagers reached the spot protesting against the burial. They said that the tribal family had converted to Christianity but they should not bury the body.

This caused tension among two groups in the village of Bastar district and police as well as administration officials had to intervene. The other group of villagers indulged in stone throwing causing minor injuries to a few police personnel. The protesters raised slogans against religious conversions and were adamant about not allowing the burial of the woman’s body. The body was then handed over to the police until the protest calmed down.

Additional SP Nivedita Paul said that a police team was deployed at the location and the situation had to be taken into control. District officials, including collector Chandan Kumar and senior cops, also reached the spot. The burial was done on Monday as per the family’s desire in presence of the police force deployed there while the huge mob of hundreds of people got aggressive and created a scuffle-like situation.

Police said that the villages in the neighbourhood were being informed and made aware not to fall for any kind of rumours about religious conversions. Additional police force was deployed at the village for maintaining law and order. Though the situation now is being described as normal, a strict vigil is being maintained in the village and surrounding areas, Bastar police said.
Since September last year, the issue of alleged religious conversion in tribal areas of Bastar flared up in the tribal villages of Bastar, Narayanpur and Kondagaon leading to clashes.

A few months ago, a group of tribal Christians had to take shelter in a stadium at Narayanpur fearing for their life and property.
In January this year, a violent mob went on a rampage, vandalised a church and attacked the Narayanpur district superintendent of police Sadanand Kumar, who sustained injuries.

Amid an increase in violence in the tribal areas in an election year, the Congress government led by chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had decided to empower district collectors to invoke National Security Act (NSA) against elements trying to disrupt communal harmony

Source: TimesofIndia