RAIPUR: Two families who were converted to Christianity were allegedly beaten and asked to leave their hamlet in Maoist-affected Narayanpur district in south Bastar.
Iknar, about 70 km from the Narayanpur district headquarters, lacked basic amenities like healthcare, education or roads for decades.
Religious conversion is a thorny subject in the state and for the ruling BJP.
There are 18 houses in the Iknar village in Abujhmarh and two families among them had converted to Christianity five years ago, having renounced their traditional deities and local rituals.
The villagers claimed that the converted families had opposed the traditional customs and religious ceremonies. The tension escalated when some locals tried discussing the issue with the families to amicably resolve the persisting issue of conversions.
The converted members alleged that they were thrashed, their belongings thrown out of their houses, stored ration and important documents burnt.
“The villagers were hostile towards us over religious conversions, as we used to attend prayers (church). Our houses were damaged, and we were asked to move out of the village. Injured members reached a community health centre for treatment. The villagers follow their belief. They should allow us to practice our Christian faith”, one of the victims told the media persons and affirmed they will not give up their embraced religion under any persuasion.
The villagers, however, asserted that they would safeguard their culture and traditions and allegedly warned the converted families that they had to follow their traditions.
Following the incident, the police are trying to settle the issue amicably and asked the villagers and the converted families to live without expressing any animosity towards each other. No FIR has been lodged with the police by either side so far.