By Bijar Kumar Minj
INDIA – Christian leaders in India’s eastern Odisha state have voiced concern over rising hostility toward Christians after villagers blocked the burial of an elderly tribal Catholic, forcing his family to bury him several kilometers away three days later.
Chhuta Hansda, a 90-year-old resident of Rangamatia village in Balasore diocese, died on Jan 7. Family members said preparations were underway for a Christian burial when his nephew, Bharat Hansda, objected and demanded that Sarna tribal religious rites be followed instead.
The family refused, saying they had embraced Christianity decades ago, according to the deceased’s grandson, Sanatan Hansda, 24. He said more villagers adhering to the Sarna animist faith later joined the protest. They insisted that the burial would not proceed unless Sarna rituals were observed.
As tension persisted, police and local revenue officials visited the village on Jan 9 but failed to resolve the dispute, said Binod Hansda, secretary of the Hatigarh Parish Council.
“The stalemate ended in a deeply distressing manner for us,” he said. “Three days after the death, the police compelled the family to take the body to a common land about five kilometers away to perform the last rites.”
Bishop Pallab Lima, head of the United Believers Council Network India, confirmed the incident and said it reflected a broader pattern.
“This was not an isolated incident,” Lima told UCA News on Jan 11. He said similar objections were raised during Christian burials in the area in 2024 and 2025.
“It is a serious concern that Christians are increasingly being denied burial rights across Odisha,” he said.
Lima alleged that “anti-social elements aligned with some political parties” were behind what he described as a systematic campaign, and called on Christians across denominations to unite and engage in dialogue to address the issue.
Pratima Minj, a Christian activist based in the state capital, Bhubaneswar, said reports of burial denials have emerged from several tribal districts over the past three years. Such incidents, he said, are intended to intimidate Christians into abandoning their faith.
Church leaders said intimidation and violence against Christians have increased since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in Odisha about a year ago, alleging that police have failed to act decisively against hardline groups.
Odisha recorded 40 incidents of attacks against Christians in 2024, according to data released by the United Christian Forum, a New Delhi-based ecumenical body that tracks persecution cases nationwide. The forum said Christians are often targeted following allegations of forced or fraudulent religious conversions, particularly in states ruled by the BJP.
Christians account for about 2.8 percent of Odisha’s population of roughly 42 million. Hindus, including many indigenous communities, make up more than 90 percent. – UCA News
