Chhattisgarh High Court Upholds Ban on Pastors in Villages to Prevent Forced Conversions.

Chhattisgarh HC Allows Hoardings Banning Pastor Entry to Prevent Conversions of Tribal People. 

Upananda Brahmachari | HENB | New Delhi | Nov 3, 2025:: The Chhattisgarh High Court has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of hoardings in eight villages that prohibit the entry of pastors and “converted Christians.” The court ruled that the hoardings, installed to prevent forced conversions, do not violate the Constitution.

The hoardings were erected by Gram Sabhas in Kanker district as a precautionary measure to protect the interests of indigenous tribes and local cultural heritage. The petitioner’s counsel argued that the hoardings promote segregation and violate constitutional rights.

However, the state argued that the hoardings are necessary to prevent illegal conversions and protect the local community and its culture. The court cited Supreme Court judgments and ruled that the installation of the hoardings for preventing forced conversion by way of allurement or fraudulent means cannot be termed as unconstitutional.

In its rulling, the division bench stated, “The hoardings appear to have been installed by the concerned Gram Sabhas as a precautionary measure to protect the interest of indigenous tribes and local cultural heritage”.

The court also observed that the petitioner did not exhaust alternative statutory remedies before approaching the high court. According to the court, a party must first exhaust the statutory alternative remedy available before seeking redressal of any grievance.

The petition was filed by Digbal Tandi, a resident of Kanker district, who alleged that the Panchayat Department was instructing gram panchayats to pass resolutions prohibiting the entry of Christian pastors and “converted Christians” in the village. The plea also alleged that the circular was passed by misusing provisions of the Panchayat (Extension to Schedule Area) Act (PESA), 1996.

The Additional Advocate General, Y S Thakur, said that PESA rules empower the gram sabha to protect local cultural heritage from destructive behavior. He added that the hoardings are only for the limited purpose of prohibiting pastors from other villages who enter the village for the purpose of illegal conversion of tribal people.

The 2023 rioting incident in Narayanpur district, where tribals attacked a church and assaulted policemen in a protest of conversion ploy, was cited as an example of law and order problems related to the issue. The court took note of the state’s argument that the hoardings are necessary to maintain peace and order.

The Syro-Malabar Church has criticized the court’s ruling, calling it divisive and stating that it marks out a group of people as second-class citizens. The Church has called for a legal challenge to the High Court ruling.

This controversy comes on the heels of a high-profile case involving two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Preethi Marry and Vandana Francis, who were arrested in Chhattisgarh in July this year on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.  In that case,  the “victims” said the nuns were helping them get jobs and better livelihood under the refuge of Jesus Christ. The matter had created a major stir in Kerala.The case sparked widespread debate and highlighted the complexities surrounding religious conversions in the state.

The Chhattisgarh High Court’s ruling has added to the debate, highlighting the complexities surrounding the issue of religious conversions in India. The court’s decision will likely have implications for the ‘acknowledged’ rights of Christian communities to convert others and the rights of the majority Hindu people to ‘preserve’ the faith of their fellow people.

The VHP has also weighed in on the issue, with General Secretary Milind Parande raising concerns about “crypto-Christians” in India, alleging that some people convert to Christianity but retain Hindu documents to avail benefits. He has demanded law enforcement against illegal and fraudulent conversion conspiracy.

Speaking recently to reporters in Prayagraj, Parande claimed that neither the government nor society is aware of their conversion, and only the Church knows their true religious affiliation. This lack of transparency has raised concerns about the scale of conversions taking place in the country and the role of churches in facilitating them. This may trigger significant demographic shifts, according to Parande’s claims. He also demanded law enforcement against illegal and fraudulent conversion conspiracy.

“Only the Church knows their true religious affiliation,” Parande said, highlighting the lack of transparency in conversions. He also added, “Churches have adopted a strategy of not changing the names of converts, so that conversions remain hidden. After conversion, they practice Christianity in faith and worship but remain officially recorded as Hindus to continue enjoying the benefits of reservation.”
…
_Agency Inputs.