Raipur: In a shocking incident, villagers in Balrampur district have submitted a memorandum to authorities, alleging that they are being pressurised by a group of people to convert to Christianity.
According to details, residents of Pashupatipur of Wadrafnagar area have approached the Sub-Divisional Magistrate [SDM] and other authorities with a memorandum, accusing a group of people for threatening them to change their religion.
As per the memorandum, the villagers who belongs to the Kodaku community have accused a family of the village for threatening them for conversion.
The said family had already embraced Christianity a few years ago and now threatening the other members of the community to follow suit. As per victim villagers, the accused have also threatened them to rob their ancestral lands if they refuse to convert.
The villagers in their complaint have also alleged the accused Dev Sai for encroaching upon the government land and erecting an illegal Church over there. They alleged that the accused continuously organise Changai Sabha on the encroached land.
As per villagers, the accused Dev Sai along with Bharat Yadav had also tried luring them into conversion during a Changai Sabha held last year, promising them cure from illnesses after embracing Christianity.
The victim villagers in the memorandum have demanded action against the accused, emphasising that they do not want to convert to any other religion as their ancestors were all practicing Hindus.
Upon receiving the memorandum, the officials have now ordered a probe into the matter.
#बलरामपुर– धर्मांतरण का दबाव बनाने का आरोप
कोडाकू जनजातियों पर धर्मांतरण का बनाया जा रहा दबाव
कोड़ाकू जनजातियों ने SDOP, SDM और तहसीलदार से की शिकायत
यादव परिवार पर धर्मांतरण का दबाव बनाने का आरोप#Balrampur #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/QoGTQj8zPw— News18 Chhattisgarh (@News18CG) September 9, 2025
It is worth mentioning here that cases involving attempts to convert people from marginalised sections are keep propping from separate areas, underscoring the grave threat of illegal conversion.
Earlier police have arrested five individuals for allegedly promoting illegal conversion activities and luring people into conversion from Bundiya village under the jurisdiction of Bhatgaon police station of neighbouring Surajpur district.
The accused were nabbed after Ramanand Bargah, a resident of Bundiya lodged a written complaint against five individuals for luring him in changing his religion and embracing Christianity. The incident surfaced in the first week of September.
As per the details, Ramanand was invited to a religious gathering [Changai Sabha] being organised at Mangal Sai’s house. Upon reaching at the gathering, Ramanand and his friends were allegedly lured into embracing Christianity by a group of people headed by Kalam Sai.
The speakers at the event reportedly promised to cure illness and offered other perks in lieu of conversion. Ramanand later approached the police and lodged a written complaint into the matter, leading to arrest of the accused. The accused were later produced before a court which subsequently sent them into judicial remand.
Government to introduce stringent anti-conversion law
Meanwhile, the state government led by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has hinted about introducing a stringent anti-conversion law to deal with the issue. As per reports, the state government could introduce the new bill in the upcoming winter session of the Chhattisgarh state Assembly. The bill may stringent the provisions of the already existing ‘Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act 1968.
Earlier Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma also indicated that the state government is working on a stricter law to curb religious conversion in the state and may bring a legislation in this regard in the coming winter session of the Assembly.
The government is working on the plan to make the existing Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act more stringent and as many as 52 meetings were held so far for the purpose, said Sharma.
“We are planning to bring legislation in the winter session of the Assembly to give more teeth to the existing law to curb religious conversions in the state”, he added.
