By Sujata Jena
Bhubaneswar, Dec 27, 2024: A wave of violence against Christians in Odisha, eastern India, has raised alarm over citizens’ religious freedom guaranteed by the country’s Constitution.
The latest incident occurred on December 26 in the Gabardhanpur village of Balasore district, where the members of the New Life Church were attacked while celebrating Christmas with a local family.
According to Pastor Sadhu Sundar Singh of the Church, Gobinda Singh, a resident of Gabardhanpur, had invited him and his colleagues, Subhasini Singh and Sukanti Singh, to his home for prayers and Christmas celebrations. The gathering involved cake cutting and a shared meal.
However, a drunken man from the village approached Gobinda Singh under the pretext of asking for food. Ignoring requests to wait, he rallied villagers waiting nearby and falsely claimed that religious conversion was taking place in the house.
The mob attacked the gathering, severely beating Subhasini and Sukanti Singh. Their clothes were pulled, as the mob shouted accusations of forced conversion.
Pastor Singh shared a video of the incident. In the video, a man named Badal Kumar Panda, wearing a white shirt and a tilak, introduced himself as the Block President of Devsena.
He is seen pointing towards the women and saying, “I came here because these people are converting our people to their religion. We have been working tirelessly, turning our blood into water to preserve our religion, and these people are converting them. They are destroying our society. If anyone knows of such conversions happening in our area, please report them to us immediately, and we will respond without delay.”
Though Gobinda Singh and his family denied the allegations, the group dragged them out and attacked them.
The video also shows the mob demanding that a woman declare she would not adopt the Christian religion. Under pressure, Sukanti Singh is heard saying, “We have made a mistake. By listening to others, we have gone down the wrong path.”
The incident took place around 1 pm and was later reported to the Remuna Police Station. Officers took the two women into custody for questioning.
Pastor Singh braved the hostile environment to visit the police station on December 27 to meet the Inspector-in-Charge and arrange legal representation for the detained women. He also coordinated with Gobinda Singh’s family to provide statements to the authorities.
Bishop Pallab Lima of the Church of North India has expressed grave concerns over the safety and religious freedom of Odisha’s Christian minority. He urged immediate investigations, the prosecution of offenders, and stronger protection for vulnerable groups.
He also listed a series of recent attacks and called for urgent action to stop the attacks.
The first attack in this season began on November 16 at Khajuripada village in Gajapati, Odisha’s third-largest Christian-populated district. One Sudipta Palta was allegedly lynched. Despite filing a First Information Report (FIR) on December 3 (No. 104/2024), no action has been taken so far.
On December 1, Christian families in Kanjamjodi village in Rayagada district faced threats and property damage (FIR No. 104/2024).
On December 6, two pastors were assaulted, and a church was vandalized in Jajpur district (FIR No. 355/2024).
On December 16, A mob of some 30 people allegedly forced Debendra Basak to renounce his Christian faith at Balipatana, near Bhubaneswar. No FIR has been filed in the case.
People such as Bishop Lama regret that the lack of decisive action from the law enforcement agencies has emboldened perpetrators, leaving the Christian community in fear and insecurity.
The growing intolerance poses a significant challenge to Odisha’s commitment to religious freedom, with urgent action required to address the rising tensions and restore faith in the rule of law, the bishop added.
Christian leaders and human rights advocates have called for interfaith dialogue and initiatives to foster understanding and harmony.