Multiple tribal Christian families from Chitalnar village in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district have been assaulted and forced to leave their homes following pressure from local Hindutva groups. The local gram panchayat has now issued a formal written notice barring these families from returning to the village.
The harassment began in March 2026, when a mob attacked around ten Christian families during a ‘gharwapsi’ campaign aimed at reconverting them to Hinduism. Two people required hospitalisation following the attack. The affected families filed written complaints with police immediately after the assault. However, according to community organisers, police took no action, forcing the displaced families to seek refuge in Sukma town.
In July 2026, the Gram Panchayat of Chitalnar submitted an official letter to the Station House Officer at Puspal Police Station formally declaring that Christian families were barred from re-entering the village. The letter, signed by Upsarpanch and backed by Gram Sabha, claimed the families had voluntarily left after refusing to renounce Christianity. The notice stated that the village administration would not allow Christians to return and disclaimed responsibility for any violence if they attempted to do so.
Civil rights observers describe the document as an unprecedented instance of a formal civic body issuing a written order endorsing religious exclusion.