Two churches set on fire in anti-Christian violence in India
Clashes in central India leave churches torched and multiple injured, highlighting rising hostility toward Christian minorities
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Violence targeting India’s Christian minority broke out in a remote village in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh after tensions over a burial escalated into mob attacks, leaving several people injured and at least two churches set on fire, officials and rights groups said.
The unrest occurred on Thursday in Amabeda village, located in Kanker district, around 150 kilometres south of Raipur, the state capital. The violence followed the burial of a 70-year-old man on private family land, an act that local residents objected to after alleging the family had adopted Christianity.
According to the local media, opposition to the burial quickly took on a religious dimension, with villagers accusing the deceased’s family of conducting Christian funeral rites and questioning their right to bury the body in the area.
The report said claims were circulated that Christian burials were not permitted on land regarded as sacred under local customs.
Police said an executive magistrate later ordered the exhumation of the body after complaints from villagers, further inflaming tensions. As clashes intensified, stone-pelting broke out between groups, prompting police to carry out a baton charge to restore order. Around 20 police personnel, including a senior officer, and several villagers were injured.
District authorities confirmed that churches and homes belonging to members of the Christian community were damaged during the unrest. Officials said police had been deployed in the area for several days and that the situation was now under control.
Christian organizations say the incident reflects a broader pattern of hostility faced by Christian communities, particularly in tribal-dominated regions of central and eastern India. Rights groups report that burial disputes have increasingly become flashpoints for violence, with Christian families often denied the right to bury relatives on ancestral or shared land.
Data compiled by church groups show dozens of burial-related confrontations across India in recent years, with Chhattisgarh accounting for a disproportionate number of cases. Analysts say these disputes are frequently driven by allegations of religious conversion, often amplified by local political or ideological actors.
Human rights advocates note that many rural areas lack designated burial grounds for Christian minorities, leaving families vulnerable to intimidation at moments of grief. Limited access to legal remedies, transportation, and administrative support further compounds the risk of violence.
The Chhattisgarh government has not announced whether compensation will be provided for damaged churches and homes. Investigations into the violence are ongoing, police said.
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