Tension gripped the remote Gram Panchayat of Polampalli in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh after the local Vanvasi community alleged three converted Christian families of the locality for allegedly luring other villagers into conversion.
According to the reports, a scuffle between the converted Christians and members of the Vanvasi community of the Polampalli Gram Panchayat under Polampalli police station limits of Sukma took a communal turn after the latter alleged the former group for promoting conversion through illegal means. Following the altercation the Christian group approached the local police station and filed a written complaint against the Vanvasis.
However, the complaint by the Christian community did not seem to impress the locals as they gathered in large numbers before the Polampalli police station and lodged their protest against those who were recently converted on September 15. The community members later, also submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate and alleged the local police station incharge Nasir Niyaji for threatening them by taking side with those who were newly converted to Christianity.
In the memorandum submitted by the members of the Vanvasi community, it’s been alleged that the station incharge Nasir Niyaji on Wednesday September 13 had threatened the husband of the village head, Kichhe Bhima and Madkam Bhima. He had said that he will put the Vanvasi villagers behind bars following which the villagers encircled the police station and lodged their protest.
They further have claimed that it seems like that the station incharge Niyaji is in favour of conversion which is disastrous for the Vanvasi community. The Vanvasis therefore pressed for his immediate tranfer from the village and have said that he should be barred from being posted in the Vanvasi dominated regions.
The memorandum further read that the protest lodged by the Vanvasis is in the weal of the community who is facing a grave threat of conversion and strict punitive action should be initiated against those who are hatching such conspiracies. Earlier in a viral video of the incident the agitated villagers can be seen expressing their anguish on the converts for disrupting peace in the region by promoting conversion.
It is to be noted that this is not the first time that issue pertaining to illegal conversion in the region has grabbed the national attention, as earlier a number of reports indicating wide scale rift between the local Vanvasis community and the newly converted Christians over illegal conversion had also surfaced from the region.
Earlier in June members of the Vanvasi community had also burnt materials pertaining to illegal conversion and expressed their anguish over illegal conversion related activities in Kondre village of Daduras panchayat of the district.
A video of the incident also went viral on the internet where the local villagers can be heard lambasting the missionaries over promoting conversion in the village by luring them with money.
#WATCH | Members of the Vanvasi community protest against the newly converted Christians for allegedly promoting conversion in the Vanvasi-dominated Polampalli village of Sukma district
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.#Sukma #Conversion pic.twitter.com/IBbFgGA4zE— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) September 19, 2023
(Read the full report here)
In a similar development reported from the region in the year 2021, the then district superintendent of the police, Sunil Sharma had also issued a letter to all the Sub Divisional Police Officers (SDPO) alerting about the possible emergence of law and order situation between the converted Christians and the local Hindu Vanvasi community over conversion.
The letter issued by Sharma then had highlighted the menace of illegal conversion being promoted by the Christian missionaries in the remote regions of the Sukma district.
Recent communal flare-ups and long standing issue of illegal conversion
The recent altercation between the two communities once again has brought the long standing issue of illegal conversion in the state at the forefront of the state assembly elections scheduled to be held in November this year. Where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are alleging the incumbent Congress government for keeping a blind eye on the misdeeds of missionaries backed conversion.
Speaking with the Organiser, senior BJP leader Prabal Pratap Judev said that there is no doubt that the missionaries are hand in glove with a certain section of local administration in these Vanvasi dominated regions where rampant conversions are being promoted. The irony is such public servants are being protected by the state government, the same is happening in this incident as well.
“When an IPS cadre alerted them with possible consequences of rampant conversion in 2021, they (state government) made a mockery of his letter, now one can sense the situation on ground. It is evident that the station incharge is indulged in conversion activities, the duty of the police is to protect the villagers but he is acting against his duties”, quoted further Judev
Bastar is a notified scheduled area where the Gram Sabha decision should be hailed above all but unfortunately the missionaries and the congress government is using the law enforcement agencies in promoting conversion. The said officer should be suspended immediately and strict action should be taken against him, if BJP is voted to power we will constitute local committees to look after such incidents, concluded Judev.
It is to be noted that the state has also witnessed a number of communal flare-ups lately between the locals Hindu Vanvasi community and the newly converted Christians over issue pertaining to illegal conversion, burials of dead and delisting, a demand for a pan India exercise to identify those who have converted to other religions and still enjoying privileges provided to scheduled tribes.
Earlier a similar altercation broke out between the two communities after construction of an impermanent Church in Ghoraha village under Nandghat police station limits of Bemetara in May this year.
It was then reported that a youth identified as Aageshwar Verma had been organising Changai Sabha and had also built an impermanent Church at his home. The incident came to light after Angeshwar sought police protection for the inauguration of the Church following which the locals led by former minister Dayaldas Baghel rushed to the police station and protested against the move. Following the outrage a police team then visited the spot and took an undertaking as assurance from Aageshwar that he would never organise any form of religious gathering at his place in future.
(Read the full report here)
In another case reported from Bhejripardar village under Parpa police station of Bastar in March this year, a violent clash broke out between the two communities over the burial of a lady from the Christian community which left a number of people injured.
It was then reported that when the members of the deceased family tried to cremate her in the village the local objected and asked them to either cremate the body outside of the village or to revert to the Sanatan fold as there was no Christian crematorium in the village.
The incident led to heavy deployment of the police from the neighboring police stations while a number of political representatives also paid visits to the remote village.
Apart from these incidents a major communal scuffle also erupted in Gorra village of Narayanpur after a engraging mob led by Christian missionaries attacked local Vanvasis gathered for a meetup against conversion on the new year eve. The incident sparked a major outrage in the Vanvasi community who in response hit the streets in the coming days leading to separate altercations.
Later on the leader of the Vanvasi community also alleged the local administration for proceeding under pressure of the missionaries and acting in a selective manner.
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