The planned priestly ordination of Jesuit deacon Basil Hadde in Chhattisgarh has been postponed indefinitely after local officials reportedly asked him to provide documents confirming his family’s conversion to Christianity in 1995.
The decision has raised concerns among Church leaders about the scrutiny of Christian activities and the implementation of the state’s 2026 anti-conversion law.
Hadde was due to be ordained in the parish of Dhanwar, in Balrampur district. However, the ceremony was put on hold after local authorities were reportedly informed about the planned event.
Archbishop Victor Thakur of Raipur, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Council of Chhattisgarh, told AsiaNews that the issue arose after the parish informed the local police about the ordination.
Officials reportedly said they had received a complaint from two individuals, identified as Patras and Umesh, who wanted the ceremony stopped. They were concerned that the ordination could encourage further conversions among members of the Kodaku tribal community, according to reports.
The administration reportedly asked the parish to cancel or postpone the ceremony until evidence confirming the legality of Hadde’s conversion was provided.
The deacon presented his baptism certificate and explained that his family had become Christian in 1995, years before the state introduced its current anti-conversion legislation.
The postponement disappointed Hadde’s family and local residents, who had spent months preparing for the occasion. Church sources said both Christian and non-Christian villagers expressed frustration, with some initially considering a protest at the district headquarters.
However, the Jesuits and the parish council urged residents to remain calm and agreed to postpone the ordination while the matter was addressed.
The incident comes amid wider concerns among Christian communities in Chhattisgarh over allegations of unlawful religious conversion and increased scrutiny of church activities.
In neighbouring Dhamtari district, notices have reportedly appeared outside churches warning about possible allegations of forced conversion.
At a 116-year-old Mennonite church in Sunderganj, a notice in Hindi states that, under the church’s management rules, entry for worship is reserved for Christians. It also warns that others who enter voluntarily do so at their own risk.
Diamond Philus, general secretary of the Dhamtari District Christian Forum, said the notices were intended as a precaution against possible legal action under the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 2026.
He said church leaders feared that visits by outsiders could lead to allegations of forced conversion and potential action against Christian communities.
Archbishop Thakur told AsiaNews that he believed the notices reflected concerns about what he described as false complaints and a lack of impartiality by local police.
He alleged that some people enter churches, sometimes at the encouragement of others, and later accuse pastors of inviting them to convert to Christianity. He also claimed that police acted on such allegations while failing to respond adequately to attacks on Christians and damage to church property.
These allegations have not been independently established in the information provided.
Chhattisgarh has a substantial tribal population, and disputes over religious conversion have repeatedly caused tensions in the state. The postponement of Hadde’s ordination has added to concerns among Church leaders about the ability of Christian communities to carry out religious activities without facing complaints or administrative intervention.
Based on reporting by AsiaNews.
