Who fuels the fire? Conversion row in Chhattisgarh exposes deep social fault lines

Key Highlights

• A series of incidents in Kanker district — protests by Sarv Samaj groups, claims by a former pastor, and now an alleged attack on a converted family — have exposed deep social fault lines and brought the issue into national focus. advertisementDeep inside one of Kanker’s most remote villages, surrounded by dense forests and cut off from urban centres, a lone converted family claims it was attacked on December 24.
• According to the family, nearly 30 men from different groups arrived at their home and pressured them to return to their former faith.
• When they refused, the family alleges, the situation escalated into threats and intimidation, leaving them fearful for their safety. The woman of the family, speaking on camera, said she now fears for their lives and has sought protection from the authorities.
• She insists they were targeted solely because they refused to change their faith.
• The family maintains that they converted decades ago and lived peacefully in the village for years without facing any resistance.