Brief
Family forced to bury father outside Chhattisgarh village after conversion to Christianity
Villagers in Iradah demanded the exhumation of Patiram Thappa's body, citing the family's Christian conversion, prompting the family to move the corpse to the town of Kanker.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Patiram Thappa, a 50‑year‑old farmer from Iradah in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, died in hospital on 10 August 2023 and was buried by his family the following day. The Independent reports that the family, who converted to Christianity in 2016, faced a hostile crowd demanding the body be exhumed and reburied outside the village.
What happened
After Patiram’s death, his daughter Simla Thappa says the family brought the body home and attempted a burial the next morning. Within hours, a crowd of 200‑250 villagers gathered, chanting “Exhume! Exhume! Exhume!” and threatening the family. Inside the house, 20‑25 villagers confronted the four‑person household, including a minor sister and a brother serving in the Border Security Force. Simla alleges that some women behaved indecently toward her mother and that the mob tried to assault relatives.
At about 5 p.m., fearing violence, the family acquiesced and hired a vehicle to transport the corpse to the nearest town, Kanker, where it was buried. The family says they were afraid the villagers would beat or lynch them if they stayed.
What the reports add
The Independent notes that the villagers’ demand was linked to the family’s conversion rather than burial customs, stating, “Burying the body was not an issue because everyone in our tribal community is buried. The real reason was our conversion.” The article adds that at least 19 of the village’s 105‑110 families are Christian, and two other recent converts who died were also buried outside the village. The outlet could not verify those deaths.
What was said
Simla Thappa told The Independent, “The entire village came, 200‑250 people… They wanted the body exhumed and buried outside the village because of our conversion.” She also said, “There was hardly any support. Otherwise we wouldn’t have had to bury him outside the village.”
How it came about
The family’s conversion to Christianity in 2016, drawn by the perceived peace of the local tribal Christian community, set the stage for the hostility. Earlier Felo coverage on religious tensions in India has highlighted similar incidents where converts face social ostracism, though no specific prior Felo article on this village is listed.
Key facts
- Patiram Thappa died on 10 August 2023 and was buried the next day in Iradah, Kanker district. (independent.co.uk)
- Villagers, numbering 200‑250, demanded the exhumation of his body, citing the family's conversion to Christianity. (independent.co.uk)
- The family moved the body to Kanker town and buried it there after fearing violence. (independent.co.uk)
- At least 19 of the village's 105‑110 families are Christian, according to the report. (independent.co.uk)
- The family received little assistance from local police, as claimed by Simla Thappa. (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “The no-go zones in India where Christians are being banished – even in death”
