RAIPUR, India — The Catholic Church in India has welcomed a major interim order by the Supreme Court of India stopping the forced exhumation of tribal Christians’ bodies in Chhattisgarh, but Church leaders say the decision provides only temporary relief and that deeper justice is still urgently needed.
The ruling, issued on Feb. 18, follows a petition by the Chhattisgarh Association for Justice and Equality, which highlighted hundreds of cases in which extremist groups forcibly dug up Christian graves in remote tribal villages.
“Relief is not enough — we want justice”
Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur welcomed the court’s intervention but stressed that the issue goes far deeper.
“It is a dangerous move against the unity and integrity of India,”
he said, adding that burial on ancestral land has traditionally never been an issue until “politically motivated groups” began objecting.
While Catholics typically use cemeteries, many tribal Christians from other denominations bury their dead in ancestral village plots — a long-standing cultural practice now targeted by radical groups.
“No rest even in death”
The United Christian Forum (UCF), which monitors anti-Christian violence, called the court’s order a “beacon of hope.” The group held a press conference in New Delhi titled “No Rest Even in Death for Christians in India.”
UCF coordinator A.C. Michael said Christian families were increasingly being denied access to burial grounds traditionally open to all villagers:
“Families are forced to abandon Christian burial customs or adopt majority religious practices just to bury their loved ones.”
Reports include graves up to 20 years old being dug up and the bones burned by mobs — sometimes forcing grieving families to participate.
A “divisive political agenda”
Father Sebastian Poomattam warned that the exhumations are part of a wider strategy to marginalize Christians.
“It is a new tactic initiated by Hindu nationalist groups to isolate believers,” he said.
Though Christians make up less than 2% of Chhattisgarh’s population, the state recorded 47 attacks on Christians in 2025, the highest in India, according to UCF.
Court refuses to remove anti-Christian village notice boards
Church leaders expressed disappointment that the Supreme Court refused to overturn a Feb. 16 ruling that upheld village notice boards banning the entry of pastors, priests, and so-called “converted Christians.”
“This violates the constitutional rights of citizens,”
Archbishop Thakur said.
In several tribal regions, Gram Sabha–issued hoardings now declare zones where Christian religious activity is prohibited.
Father Poomattam said the judiciary’s refusal to act will only embolden extremists.
Social boycott escalating
UCF reports widespread discrimination, including:
- Denial of access to water sources
- Social boycotts
- Restrictions on government rations
- Attacks while police allegedly look on
Fresh tensions in Jagdalpur Diocese
Father Thomas Vadakkumkara of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Jagdalpur reported new tensions after locals alleged their village deity had “disappeared” due to the presence of the Church — despite the Church being active there for 28 years.