Chhattisgarh Bandh Against Conversions: Christmas decorations vandalised in Raipur Mall.

Mob Vandalises Christmas Decorations at Raipur Mall Amid Chhattisgarh Bandh Over Alleged Rise in Christian Conversions.

Upendra Bharti | HENB | Raipur | Dec 25, 2025:: Raipur and several other parts of Chhattisgarh witnessed heightened tension on Wednesday during a state-wide bandh called by Hindu organisations to protest alleged religious conversions and what they described as an inadequate response by authorities to a recent communal clash in Kanker district. The shutdown, organised by the Sarva Hindu Samaj and supported by various right-wing groups, evoked a mixed response across the state.

In the state capital, a group described by opposition leaders as a Hindutva mob vandalised Christmas decorations at Magneto Mall, a day ahead of the festival. Videos widely shared on social media showed a large crowd forcing its way into the mall, with some individuals carrying sticks and damaging festive installations. Police officials stated that while the overall situation in the state remained largely peaceful, a few incidents of vandalism were reported during the bandh.

The impact of the shutdown was more pronounced in urban centres. Normal life was disrupted in cities including Raipur, Durg, Bastar, Rajnandgaon, Korba, Bilaspur, Bijapur and Surguja, where most shops and commercial establishments remained closed. Traffic movement was affected in several areas as protesters blocked roads and staged demonstrations. Hospitals and essential services were exempted, though disruptions were reported in public transport. In contrast, the bandh had a limited impact in some rural districts, such as Balrampur.

Protests were held at district headquarters across Chhattisgarh, where demonstrators submitted memorandums addressed to the Governor and the Chief Minister through district administration officials. The memorandums demanded the enactment of a stringent anti-conversion law, citing concerns over alleged forced religious conversions, particularly in tribal areas.

The bandh followed escalating communal tensions in the state after violence broke out on December 18 in Badetevda (Amabeda) village in Kanker district. The clash occurred over the burial of a man from a Christian family and left several people injured, including more than 20 police personnel. During the unrest, a mob vandalised a prayer hall and set items inside it on fire.

According to officials, tensions had been building since December 16, when Rajman Salam, the village sarpanch, buried his father on private land following Christian rites. Some villagers objected to the burial, after which the administration exhumed the body and reburied it at another designated location.

Defending the bandh, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) state president Ghanshyam Choudhary said the protest aimed to draw attention to what he termed widespread forced religious conversions in Chhattisgarh, especially in tribal regions. Referring to the Kanker incident, he claimed that the burial had proceeded despite objections from local tribal residents, triggering anger and subsequent clashes.

Opposition parties sharply criticised the shutdown. Chhattisgarh Congress spokesperson and head of the party’s communication department, Sushil Anand Shukla, alleged that the bandh was “sponsored by the government and the RSS”. He accused RSS-affiliated organisations and BJP workers of enforcing the shutdown and creating an atmosphere of fear, while alleging police inaction. Shukla further claimed that more than 100 people entered Raipur’s Magneto Mall armed with sticks and damaged property in the presence of police, and cited similar incidents of vandalism and intimidation in Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur, Raigarh and Bastar.

The developments come amid broader concerns raised by Christian organisations. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) had earlier written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing alarm over what it described as a rise in attacks on Christians in several states during the Christmas season.

Similar tensions were reported outside Chhattisgarh as well. In Odisha, another BJP-ruled state, right-wing activists were seen preventing roadside vendors from selling Christmas-related items such as Santa Claus costumes, claiming that the festival was not part of indigenous traditions. In a separate incident in Kerala, an RSS worker was arrested in Palakkad’s Pudussery after a children’s Christmas carol group was allegedly attacked while visiting homes.

Deceitful Christian conversions among poor Hindus, especially tribal people, and false faith healing in the name of Jesus have adversely impacted the mindset of the majority community.

Hundreds of churches in Europe and America are being sold and converted into Hindu temples and other establishments, but foreign Christian missionaries are investing huge amounts of funds to create new churches in India and trying to run their proselytising programmes. It’s ironic that Christian popes, faith healers, and the conversion icon like Mother Teresa, died of various diseases without any healing power of Jesus or the Bible, but fake faith healers are running their business in India, duping poor and ignorant people who become prey to conversion.

Meanwhile, some Hindu organisations have also promoted alternative religious observances during the Christmas period, including the increased observance of “Tulsi Pujan” by sections of the Sanatani Hindu community. Supporters of these initiatives argue that they encourage cultural and moral values, while critics view them as part of growing religious polarisation.

There is a growing trend among Sanatani Hindus of observing Tulsi Pujan in place of Christmas celebrations, which are perceived as being wrongly associated with alcohol consumption and drug parties during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation, with police maintaining that law and order remains under control, even as political and religious groups trade allegations over responsibility for the unrest.
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_Agency Inputs.