By Rajeev Rathan
Bhubaneswar, May 14, 2025: A joint fact-finding team has uncovered widespread human rights violations against Dalit and Adivasi Christians in the Nabarangpur district of Odisha state in eastern India.
The team, comprising the members of the Odisha Lawyers Forum and activists, visited the region April 26 and 27 and documented multiple cases of families being barred from burying their dead according to their Christian faith.
In several instances, the victims were allegedly coerced into either renouncing their religion or “converting” the deceased to Hinduism in order to gain access to burial spaces, the team reported.
Many of the violations have occurred within the Assembly constituency of the state Minister for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minorities, it pointed out.
While refraining from holding the minister personally responsible for the past incidents, it stated that he “has a constitutional duty to assure citizens that their rights will be protected henceforth.”
The team cited the case of 20-year-old Saravan Gond of Melbeda village, who died in a workplace accident in Maharashtra, western India. When his body was brought to the village for burial, local Hindu groups reportedly threatened the family, assaulted mourners.
They exhumed the body, which was later untraceable. The family filed a police complaint, but no action has been taken yet, the team reported.
In another case from Siunaguda village, 85-year-old Keshav Santa was denied burial due to his sons’ Christian faith, despite Keshav identifying as Hindu. Under pressure, the family was forced to sign documents declaring conversion to Hinduism.
The team found that the family faced a similar humiliation during the burial of a daughter years earlier.
Other cases included Hindu neighbors denying burial for Domu Jani. The 60-year-old was buried in a forest after a two-day standoff.
The families converted to Hinduism the bodies of Madhu Harijan and Chandra Harijan Hinduism under pressure to allow village burial.
The team concluded that such incidents represent blatant violations of Articles 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee the right to life with dignity and religious freedom.
It further noted the failure to uphold provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, as well as the guideline of the National Human Rights Commission and the rulings of the Supreme Court on the rights of the deceased.
“These cases are not isolated,” said Manas Jena, a team member and social activist. “They represent a dangerous pattern of coercion, intimidation, and systemic discrimination, all taking place with the passive complicity of the local administration.”
The team report points out the failure of police and officials to act in many cases.
The f team has made the following recommendations:
* Enact specific legislation to protect the rights of the dead.
* Train officials on constitutional rights and holding them accountable for negligence.
* Apply provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act and BNSS against those promoting untouchability or religious hatred.
* Establish a District Minority Forum Cell and ensure allocation of burial land for Christians.
* Ensure paralegal training and victim compensation through District Legal Services Authorities.
The report also highlighted the silence from civil society organizations and lack of media coverage. “This is not just about Christians,” the report states. “This is about constitutional morality and the right of every Indian—regardless of faith—to dignity, even in death.”