Christian families have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in nearby forests following violent attacks in Odisha’s Koraput district, just hours after community leaders submitted an urgent appeal to the President seeking protection from persecution.
The attacks occurred on 9 June in the Narayanpatna and Bondhugaon blocks, where villagers targeted Christian residences, breaking into homes and vandalising properties. The violence erupted within hours of the Rastriya Christian Morcha presenting a memorandum to the President through the Governor of Odisha.
Preliminary reports confirm at least three separate incidents across both blocks. In one attack in Bondhugaon block, four Christian families were targeted by villagers who broke into their homes and vandalised their properties. Video footage shows the aftermath of the attacks, with the families forced to seek refuge in nearby jungles for their safety after facing threats and social ostracism from other villagers.
According to Bishop Lima, eyewitnesses report that attackers specifically targeted homes and assaulted individuals across the incidents, creating widespread fear that forced families to flee into surrounding forests for safety.
Despite the severity of the attacks and property damage, no complaint has been registered by police, raising concerns about institutional response to the violence.
Speaking to Christian Today, Bishop Dr Pallab Lima expressed deep concern over the escalating violence. “The situation has become deeply troubling,” he said. “We made our appeal to the highest authorities seeking protection, yet within hours our people faced fresh attacks. Entire families, including vulnerable women and children, have been forced to take refuge in the wilderness out of fear. Such persecution cannot continue unchallenged.”
The attacks followed nationwide protests on 9 June, when Christians across Odisha demonstrated for religious freedom and justice. The memorandum submitted to the President detailed ongoing persecution, including targeted attacks under the guise of forced conversions, false legal charges, church vandalism, and denial of burial rights for Christian tribal communities.
The Koraput incidents reflect a broader pattern of violence documented across Odisha. In May, three independent fact-finding teams investigated incidents in Nabarangpur, Gajapati, and Balasore districts between March and April, uncovering alarming patterns of targeted violence, coercion, and constitutional rights violations against Christians, particularly those from Adivasi and Dalit communities.
The investigations documented numerous cases of burial denials, forced religious conversions, and police brutality. In one severe case in Nabarangpur district, a Hindu mob refused to allow the burial of 20-year-old Saravan Gond unless his family converted to Hinduism. When officials departed, relatives were “forcibly taken to the burial site and ordered to exhume the body or be killed,” according to the Odisha Lawyers Forum report.
The fact-finding teams highlighted institutional failures in protecting constitutional rights, noting that violations occurred despite the presence of police and officials who often proved “indifferent or actively complicit.”
Human rights organisations and concerned citizens are demanding immediate government intervention in the latest Koraput attacks. They are calling on state and central authorities to investigate swiftly, ensure the safe return of displaced families, and implement concrete measures to halt what they term a cycle of violence against the Christian minority in Odisha.
