Another conversion dispute rocks Narayanpur village

Raipur: Days after a religious conversion dispute in Bharanda village, another village in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district witnessed tension after two families from the minority community were allegedly asked to leave following a disagreement over participation in traditional tribal customs.Police deployed additional personnel in Khadka village after villagers allegedly removed the families’ household belongings from their homes. Officials said the situation was tense but under control, with revenue and police officials holding discussions with both sides to prevent any escalation.According to villagers, the families, who had embraced Christianity, were asked to contribute to village functions like other residents and participate in traditional tribal rituals and worship of local deities.

The families said they were willing to contribute financially towards village activities but would not participate in religious practices, triggering the dispute.Villager Mohan Dugga said his family wanted to continue living peacefully in the village despite converting to Christianity. Another villager, Sukhdev Dugga, said a village meeting had decided to expel families who refused to follow traditional customs despite repeated requests.

He claimed villagers had also urged them to return to their original faith and that, so far, two families comprising seven adults and three children had been asked to leave.Police said adequate security has been deployed while officials continue mediation efforts.The incident comes days after a similar dispute in Bharanda village, where disagreements over religious conversion and participation in tribal customs had also led to tension.Narayanpur and other Bastar districts have witnessed recurring disputes in recent years over religious conversions, often centred on participation in village customs, festivals and traditional tribal religious practices. Authorities have generally intervened through negotiations and preventive police deployment to prevent any escalation.Incident comes days after a similar dispute in Bharanda village, where disagreements over religious conversion and participation in tribal customs had also led to tension