India: Christians Banned From Eight Villages in Chhattisgarh State
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – As part of an intensifying intolerance of Christianity in India, eight village councils in the Sukma District of India’s Chhattisgarh State passed a joint resolution earlier this month to ban Christians from staying in their communities, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.
Around 100 Christians have been directly impacted by the joint resolution that was passed on November 17, CSW reports. According to the resolution, the Christians would have to renounce their faith or leave their village. And if they failed to do either, their fields, belongings, and property would be looted.
The Christians reported the matter to the Gadiras Police Station in Michwar on November 18, but no action was taken, CSW reports. Moreover, the Christians’ harvest was looted from their fields.
On November 19, the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CCF) reported the matter to the Sukma district collector and superintendent of police, who has now ordered an investigation. However, this action was not enough to prevent Christian families from being displaced from their homes in the villages and having to take shelter in a church building in Michwar.
In a statement about the resolution, CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “CSW condemns the efforts of village authorities in Chhattisgarh to effectively outlaw Christianity in their villages, either by forcing villagers to renounce their faith or to leave their homes entirely. We call on state authorities to intervene as a matter of urgency, ensuring that reparations are made for any loss of or damage to property since the resolution was passed, and that Christians in these villages are free to return to their lives and livelihoods without fear of further threats, harassment or intimidation.”
Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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