A Christian family in Chhattisgarh has said villagers pressured them to abandon plans for a Christian burial and instead perform Hindu funeral rites for a deceased woman.
Peonbai Sahu, 55, died on 10 September in Nawagaon village, Dhamtari district. She was divorced and had been living with her brother, Umesh Sahu.
Local reports said the family had embraced Christianity and had been involved in Christian missionary activities for several years. Umesh said the family had been associated with Christianity for about eight years.
A dispute reportedly broke out when relatives began making arrangements for Peonbai's funeral. According to Umesh, a village meeting was held during which the family was asked to remain connected with the wider community. The family agreed, but villagers then objected to their plan to bury Peonbai according to Christian practice.
Babu Ram, a resident of Nawagaon, said funerals were traditionally treated as a community responsibility in the village, which has about 1,200 residents. Villagers contribute labour and materials such as firewood when someone dies, he said.
He claimed the family had not participated in village traditions and social activities for several years.
The villagers reportedly told the family that Peonbai could be given a funeral in the village only if traditional Hindu rites were followed.
After several hours of discussions, the family agreed to the demand and Peonbai was cremated according to Hindu rituals, according to UCA News.
A village elder, who asked not to be identified, said the family had also agreed to remain involved in community activities. After the cremation, a purification ceremony was reportedly held at the village temple to mark the family's return to the community.
Father Shibu Roy, a pastor in Dhamtari district, condemned what he described as the coercion of a Christian family over funeral arrangements.
“This is the height of injustice. Even the dead are not spared,” he said.
Roy claimed that incidents involving pressure on Christians had become increasingly common in Chhattisgarh. He also alleged that people who force poorer members of the community to follow particular religious customs sometimes resort to violence and are not adequately punished.
Christian organisations and rights advocates have previously raised concerns about alleged attacks and pressure against Christians and their institutions in the state.
Human rights lawyer Ramesh Kumar said he believed minority communities were increasingly vulnerable to intimidation and alleged that police had failed to provide adequate protection in some cases.
He also criticised the use of the state's anti-conversion laws, alleging that Hindu nationalist groups had used them to target Christians. Such claims reflect the views of the lawyer and have not been independently established in relation to the funeral incident in Nawagaon.
The case highlights tensions that can arise when Christian families who have adopted a different faith continue to live within communities where Hindu customs remain central to social and religious life.
Based on reporting by UCA News.
