Violence Erupts Over Burial Dispute in Chhattisgarh's Bastar Region
Burial Dispute Leads to Communal Clashes
A conflict regarding a Christian burial in the Bastar area of Chhattisgarh has resulted in communal violence in Kanker district, injuring multiple individuals and vandalizing a prayer hall.
Reports indicate that at least 20 police officers, including Additional Superintendent of Police Ashish Banchhor, sustained injuries while attempting to manage the unrest.
The situation escalated on Tuesday in Bade Teoda village when the sarpanch, Rajman Salam, buried his 70-year-old father just a day after his passing. Salam stated in a video that he had converted to Christianity, while his father had not.
Salam claimed he had received consent from village elders to proceed with the burial according to tribal customs, but was informed that he could not be present due to his Christian faith.
He proceeded with a Christian burial on his private land, which led to the outbreak of violence, as reported by local sources.
“Everyone should have the right to bury their deceased,” Salam expressed. “We are willing to compromise and conduct the burial according to local customs, but we must be allowed to be present.”
Salam accused his political adversary of rallying Hindutva supporters from nearby villages, demanding the exhumation of his father's body.
“The police urged me to permit the exhumation to avoid further tensions, but I declined,” he stated.
Clashes erupted on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting police to secure the area. On Thursday, tensions heightened when a mob armed with sticks breached police barricades, leading to renewed violence.
Salam alleged that law enforcement did not intervene to stop the mob and instead pressured his family to withdraw from the situation.
“They only acted when their own were attacked,” he remarked.
In response to complaints from locals, an executive magistrate ordered the exhumation of the body, as confirmed by Kanker police.
“An inquest and post-mortem will be conducted, followed by necessary legal actions,” police stated, noting the tense atmosphere in the village.
Despite a significant police presence, mobs targeted churches and homes belonging to Christians in the vicinity, according to a local journalist.
“The body was taken without our consent,” Salam lamented. “Churches were set ablaze, and my house was destroyed.”
The Badetevda village in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district had been on edge for the past four days over a dispute between a Christian family, local villagers, and Hindutva groups. The dispute had to do with the burial of a Christian man’s father. pic.twitter.com/351piAlTYl
— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) December 21, 2025