HYDERABAD: In a significant victory for the residents of Yadgarpally village in Rangareddy District, Telangana, a three-year struggle to stop the illegal establishment of a church has reached a successful conclusion. The villagers maintained their steadfast resistance against the unauthorised construction efforts of a non-local pastor throughout the ordeal.
The controversy began when a non-local pastor Dr Isreal Naik purchased land and set up a small shed as a church at Yadgarpally in 2021. Since then, using loudspeakers, he and his team began singing songs and carols, ignoring repeated objections from the villagers. Frustrated by the disturbance, the locals approached the police, who advised the pastor to secure official permission to operate the church. Complying, the pastor submitted an application to the Gram Panchayat.
In response, the villagers convened a special Gram Sabha in October 2021, passing a unanimous resolution that the construction of a church would not serve any beneficial purpose to the village. The Gram Panchayat, respecting the villagers’ decision, stalled the pastor’s application.
In response, the villagers held special Gram Sabha and passed resolution stating that "construction of church would not serve any purpose to village, such as creating employment or contributing to village development".
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) September 24, 2024
Unwilling to back down, the pastor Dr Isreal Naik escalated the issue to the District Collector, followed by a Writ petition in the High Court, seeking intervention to pressure the district administration into approving his church construction. Reports from the Panchayat, Revenue, and Intelligence departments surprisingly recommended approval, failing to reflect the village’s formal opposition in 2021.
In 2023, unaware of the villagers’ objections, the High Court ordered the District Collector to make a prompt decision based on the rules. Sensing bias in the administration’s handling of the case, the villagers reignited their fight, resubmitting their Gram Sabha resolutions and documents. Threatening further legal action, they forced the authorities to reconsider their stance.
Ultimately, fearing a legal backlash, the officials rejected the pastor’s application, citing the absence of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the villagers. LRPF hailed the village’s determination and legal acumen, declaring this as a victory for local governance and the protection of village integrity.
Speaking to Organiser, LRPF commented, “The Yadgarpally victory highlights a standard pattern where churches attempt to exploit the innocence of villagers by disregarding their concerns and pushing through with illegal constructions. Villagers, often unaware of legal procedures, are frequently unable to counter these designs, which results in churches operating freely and engaging in religious conversion. This is precisely what we saw here.”
LRPF praised the outcome, calling the Yadgarpally case a “textbook example” of the importance of Gram Sabha resolutions in defending village interests. “This victory should serve as a model for other villages facing similar attempts to exploit their lack of legal awareness. The power of the Gram Sabha and the collective will of the people can be a strong defense against such exploitative practices,” LRPF noted.
The Yadgarpally case sheds light on a broader issue in rural India, where external religious organisations, often backed by foreign or non-local influences, attempt to establish a presence by sidestepping local governance and exploiting the innocence of village communities. The success of the villagers in Yadgarpally serves as a reminder that informed local governance, through mechanisms like Gram Sabha resolutions, can play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and cultural identity of rural areas.
