Christian tribal families face intimidation in India

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Members of a tribal Christian community in eastern India’s Odisha have alleged harassment, assault and threats after local Hindu villagers sought to block prayers and demanded the relocation of a church, highlighting renewed concerns over religious intimidation targeting minority groups.

The incident occurred in Kapena village, in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, where tribal Christians say they were prevented from holding prayers after villagers claimed the presence of a church was obstructing Hindu religious activities. 

Community members said loudspeakers were used to issue warnings that the church would be demolished and that around 30 Christian families would be expelled from the village if worship continued.

The church — Blessing Youth Mission Church — has existed alongside a sacred grove in the village for nearly 18 years without reported conflict. Tensions, however, escalated over the past two weeks in the predominantly tribal village, home to around 250 households from Gond, Bhatra and Santa Indigenous communities, many of whom rely on subsistence farming. Some families converted to Christianity over the years.

According to Christian residents, two youths — John Santa, 20, and Jolandar Santa, 17 — were allegedly summoned and beaten on Sunday evening. A police complaint was later filed at Umerkote police station, naming seven villagers accused of leading the assault. 

Authorities subsequently removed a lock placed on the church gate and deployed police personnel to guard the building, said Gourab Kauri of the Nabarangpur Christian Minority Council, according to UCA News.

Local police confirmed receiving complaints from the Christian community. “We received a distress call from villagers who said they felt threatened after some residents asked them to shift their church to a distant location,” said Ramakant Sai, inspector-in-charge of Umerkote police station, according to The Hindu.

Senior district officials later held a community meeting involving representatives from both sides, urging restraint. Police said leaders of the Christian community were asked to take a decision on the proposed relocation within 15 days, while security forces would remain deployed in the area as a precautionary measure, particularly ahead of a planned Hindu religious ceremony in February.

Christians make up less than 3% of Odisha’s population of roughly 42 million, while Hindus and Indigenous communities account for nearly 90%. Rights groups say disputes over worship sites in tribal regions are increasingly shaped by pressure from Hindu nationalist groups that portray Christian prayer and conversions as threats to local religious identity.

The Kapena incident comes amid a broader rise in reported attacks on Christians in Odisha, including recent cases in which pastors were assaulted, publicly humiliated or forced to chant religious slogans. Civil rights advocates warn that such incidents reflect a wider pattern of mob pressure and impunity targeting religious minorities in parts of India.