Christian Family Forced to Follow Hindu Funeral Rites in Chhattisgarh.

A Christian family in Nawagaon village, Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh, reportedly came under pressure from villagers to conduct Hindu funeral rites for a deceased family member after residents objected to a burial according to Christian practices. The deceased, Peonbai Sahu, 55, was a divorcee who lived with her brother, Umesh Sahu. According to The Christian Post, the family had been associated with Christianity for around eight years and had also been involved in missionary activities. The family planned to give Peonbai a Christian burial. However, villagers reportedly objected, saying the family had not participated in traditional village customs. Villager Babu Ram was quoted as saying that funerals in the village are considered a communal responsibility and that the family had previously remained distant from these traditions. A village meeting was held following the dispute. Umesh Sahu said the family eventually agreed to remain connected with the community. After several hours of disagreement, the family agreed to conduct the funeral according to Hindu rites. Peonbai was subsequently cremated under Hindu customs, and a ritual described as a cleansing ceremony was reportedly conducted at the village temple. Local pastor Fr. Shibu Roy criticized the incident, describing it as a serious injustice and expressing concern that Christians were being pressured to follow religious practices that were not their own. He also claimed that similar incidents had become common in parts of Chhattisgarh. These statements represent the pastor's account and assessment of the situation. The report also refers to earlier incidents in Chhattisgarh in which Christian families reportedly faced objections when attempting to bury deceased relatives according to their faith. In one 2025 case, a Christian family was reportedly prevented from burying a relative in their village and eventually took the body to Raipur for burial in a Christian cemetery. The incident has renewed discussion about religious freedom, funeral practices and the rights of Christian minorities in parts of Chhattisgarh.