Tribal Christian Woman’s Body Lies in Chhattisgarh Mortuary as Village Denies Burial, Cites 'Land Defilement'

Kanker- In a disturbing incident reported from Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, a tribal Christian family has been denied the right to bury their deceased family member, leaving the body in a mortuary for three days. The incident highlights the prevailing social tension in the region and raises questions about the enforcement of constitutional rights at the grassroots level.

According to the Progressive Christian Alliance, Sambai Mandavi, a 34-year-old tribal woman from Pandripura in Amodi village, died on February 24 due to respiratory and cardiac complications while being taken to the hospital. However, her husband, Kamlesh Mandavi, has been unable to perform her last rites.

Villagers have allegedly opposed the burial, both in the public cemetery and on the family’s private land, issuing threats of physical assault and property damage. The primary objection raised by the opposing group is that burying the body with Christian rites would "defile the local land and deities." Some have also demanded "Ghar Wapsi" (reconversion to Hinduism) as a condition for allowing the burial.

"They are threatening to exhume the body if we perform the rites," Kamlesh Mandavi stated in his formal complaint to the district administration. "My wife's body has been lying in the hospital mortuary for three days now. We are in deep distress."

The incident is particularly alarming as it comes just days after the Supreme Court of India issued an interim order on February 18, halting the exhumation of tribal Christians' bodies in villages across Chhattisgarh. Advocacy groups have pointed out that this case exposes a gap between judicial protection and on-ground reality.

Rev. Simon Digbal Tandi, on behalf of the Progressive Christian Alliance, condemned the development and urged immediate intervention from state authorities. "This is a clear violation of constitutional guarantees. No community should be subjected to such intimidation, especially in their moment of grief. We demand that the administration ensure a dignified burial for the deceased and protect the rights of vulnerable minority communities," the rights group asserted.