Report: Aditya Rai
The dispute related to tribal identity and religious change has once again taken a violent form in Bastar division of Chhattisgarh. In the Amabeda area of Kanker district, the controversy arising out of an attempt to bury the body of a converted tribal in the village in an irregular manner has shaken the entire area. After the imposition of curfew, more than 20 policemen including DIG and ASP have been injured, while many tribals have also become victims of violence. This incident is becoming a new threat to the internal security of Bastar, where hundreds of such disputes have taken place in the last three years.
Amabeda violence: curfew and list of injured
The dispute that started on December 16 in Amabeda village of Kanker took a violent turn on December 18. After the death of a Christian converted tribal, his family members tried to bury his body on private land in violation of Gram Sabha rules. Angered by this, the tribal community protested, which turned into a clash involving stone pelting and sticks. The police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the large crowd, but the situation went out of control.
so many injured from both sides
DIG Kanker said that more than 20 policemen were injured in the violence, including ASP and several constables. Dozens of people from the tribal side have also been injured. Curfew has been imposed for 48 hours and additional forces have been deployed. Police have detained more than 50 people.
Hundreds of disputes, four major clashes in three years
This is not a new problem regarding burial of dead bodies. From 2022 to 2025, hundreds of such cases have been registered in Bastar, in which large-scale violence took place four times.
- On December 20, 2022, the illegal burial of a dead body in a village in Narayanpur sparked controversy, which turned into stone pelting.
- Exactly 12 days later, on January 1, 2023, a fierce clash took place between the tribals and the Christian community in Narayanpur. During this, the head of District SP Sadanand Kumar was injured, more than 60 policemen were injured and dozens of villagers from both sides were injured.
- At the end of 2023, the same issue heated up in Amravati village under Kondagaon police station. Here many policemen including SDOP were injured and both the communities set fire to each other’s houses.
- In 2024, FIRs were registered in more than 50 cases in seven districts of Bastar including Jagdalpur. These include clashes arising from attempts to bury dead bodies.
Now violence broke out in Amabeda
The incident that started in Amabeda from 16 December in 2025 turned the wheel again. First, on December 17, more than 300 Christian supporters along with Bhim Sena attacked the tribals. They entered houses and were beaten and there was fighting. On December 18, a mob armed with sticks was called through messages in WhatsApp groups, where violence broke out again. After this, thousands of tribals gathered and churches were targeted by stone pelting and arson.
now more than 300 cases
Hundreds of tribals including IPS officers and policemen have been injured in these incidents. According to statistics, more than 300 cases have been registered since 2021, which is raising alarm bells for the peace of Bastar.
Here is the root of the dispute
The root of the dispute lies in tribal culture and tradition. The tribal community considers crematoriums and cemeteries as ‘Devasthali’, where their deities reside. These gods provide shelter to the soul after death. During conversion, Christian missionaries pressure the person to renounce the old gods and undergo baptism (purification). Tribal people believe that the converted person blasphemes the Gods, due to which when his cremation takes place at the shrine, the tradition is broken and the Gods get angry.
Therefore, from 2010, the Gram Sabha in every village of Bastar unanimously decided to build a separate cemetery for Christians. This decision emerged from joint meetings of tribal organizations and the Christian community, so that there would be no cultural clash. But, many convert families break the rules of Gram Sabha and bury them on private land or in the old temple, which becomes a cause of controversy. The same thing happened in Amabeda, where an attempt was made to bury the body on private land.
What is PESA law?
Gram Sabha has been given wide powers under the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) 1996 in Scheduled Tribal Areas. According to the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, the Gram Sabha can take independent decisions on tribal culture, tradition and land management, which is binding on the administration. All villagers above 18 years of age are members of the Gram Sabha, and decisions taken by majority vote are implemented. The decision of separate graveyard in Bastar is based on this majority. Under PESA, the Gram Sabha is supreme in land use, social customs and dispute settlement. But, when it is violated, violence erupts.
High Court’s strict stance: Burial on private land is illegal
Due to non-compliance of Gram Sabha rules, many Christian families started burying on private land, which is legally invalid. Chhattisgarh High Court clarified in several petitions that burial on private land is prohibited without the permission of Gram Panchayat and Collector and without land use change. In the petitions of Somaru Nag in 2024 and Ramesh Baghel in 2025, the petitioners cited constitutional rights, but the court rejected them.
The court ordered that burials will have to be done only in Christian cemeteries within a radius of 20-25 km. There is a danger of disturbing regional peace due to private burial, hence permission cannot be given. In these cases, the bodies were kept in the mortuary for several days, but were eventually buried in Christian cemeteries as per court orders. The High Court gave a single decision in more than 20 cases, which strengthens the demand of the Gram Sabha.
MP’s demand, letter written to Amit Shah
Bastar MP Mahesh Kashyap has termed these recurring disputes as a ‘threat to internal security’ and has demanded an investigation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the state government. He says, “International conversion forces are behind this. Rules have been made, the High Court has given orders, but controversies are created through conspiracies, which incite violence.” Kashyap has written a letter to the Center and State.
IPS-IAS warning
Earlier, in 2021, the then Sukma SP IPS Sunil Sharma issued a circular asking to keep an eye on the suspicious activities of Christian missionaries. He warned that conversion due to greed could lead to violence. In 2023, Bastar division commissioner GR Churendra wrote a letter to all the collectors, calling conversion the ‘biggest threat’ and asked them to make a list of the activities of the missionaries. These warnings are coming true today.
Conspiracy of Bhim Army and Christian community revealed through WhatsApp chat!
Police investigation has revealed a lot through WhatsApp chats. Messages inciting violence were circulating in the official groups of Bhim Sena since December 16. On December 18, people were armed with sticks and called ‘Bade Tevda’. The tribals present in small numbers were beaten twice on 17 and 18 December, after entering their houses and making them run around. Instigated by this, the tribals arrived in thousands and started stone pelting and arson. It is clear from the chats that the violence was pre-planned, which hurts community harmony.
