In Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, 36 members of eight Christian families were reportedly assaulted by a Hindu mob on August 10 in Havachur village of Antagarh block, in what appears to be a targeted hate crime against Christians.
According to Amar Ujala, the victims had attended Sunday prayers at a local church and were on their way home when a group of villagers allegedly confronted them. Soon after, attackers are said to have gone door-to-door, pulling people out of their homes and beating them with sticks. Several injured individuals were taken to Kanker District Hospital for treatment.
One of the victims, Hitesh Kumar, claimed that his mother, Shanti Bai Darro, was among those badly beaten. “We were targeted because of our faith,” he told The Statesman. “The entire village turned on us.” Kumar also alleged that her sari was torn before the assault. Another woman, Bisantin Darro, sustained critical injuries, while a man identified as Jageshwar Usendi is suspected to have suffered a ruptured eardrum.
Simon Digbal Tandi, state secretary of the Rashtriya Christian Morcha, stated that along with Shanti Bai Darro, another woman… was also in a critical condition, and reiterated that Usendi’s ear injury was severe. Tandi further alleged that the local police refused to register a first information report, compelling the victims to approach the Kanker Superintendent of Police the following day.
Fearing further attacks, several injured persons reportedly spent the night hiding before going to the SP’s office on August 11 to demand action.
Kanker SP Indra Kalyan Elesela confirmed that there had been a clash between two groups “over a church-related matter” and said, “Legal action will be taken against those found guilty.” Speaking to The Statesman, he added that a “detailed investigation” was underway following complaints from both sides and assured that “an FIR will be filed once the preliminary inquiry is complete.”
This violent episode comes shortly after the July arrest of two nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district on charges of human trafficking and religious conversion. The two were granted bail on August 2 following the outrage from Christian groups and non-BJP parties.
Last month, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) expressed deep alarm over the escalating hostility and violence faced by minority communities in the country, warning that India is witnessing a dangerous climate, which is “gripped by fear and pain.”
