Raipur: The day-long ‘Chhattisgarh Bandh’ called by Hindu organisations against alleged religious conversions received a mixed response across the state on Wednesday, with normal life getting disrupted in several cities while partial impact was seen in others.
Barring a few incidents of vandalism, the situation across the state remained largely peaceful, police said.
The bandh was called in the wake of a recent clash over the burial of a person from a Christian family in Kanker district.
Most shops and commercial establishments remained shut in Raipur, Durg, Bastar, Rajnandgaon, Korba, Bilaspur, Bijapur and Surguja districts. The bandh’s impact was comparatively limited in some rural pockets and districts, such as Balrampur.
In state capital Raipur, agitators allegedly vandalised decorations and preparations made for Christmas celebrations at a mall.
Hospitals and other essential services were kept out of the purview of the shutdown.
However, traffic movement was affected at several places as protesters, mainly from right-wing organisations, staged demonstrations and blocked roads demanding stricter laws to curb alleged religious conversions. Trade and commerce bodies extended support to the bandh in many districts.
State president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Ghanshyam Choudhary told PTI that the protest was aimed at drawing attention to alleged forced religious conversions in the state.
He alleged that frequent instances of missionaries violating rules and carrying out conversions were being reported, particularly in tribal-dominated areas.
Referring to the recent incident in Badetevda village of Kanker district, Choudhary claimed that despite being advised by tribal residents not to bury his father in the village as per Christian rituals, the village sarpanch allegedly went ahead with the burial, leading to tension and clashes.
Angered over such incidents, Sarva Hindu Samaj called for the state-wide bandh, he said.
Protests were held at district headquarters across the state, and memorandums addressed to the Governor and the Chief Minister were submitted to district administration officials, demanding the enactment of a stringent anti-conversion law.
Other demands included safeguarding the constitutional rights of tribals, preventing religious conversions and delisting converted persons from caste-based reservations, he added.
Police were deployed at sensitive locations to prevent any untoward incident.
Police said that barring a few incidents of vandalism, the situation across the state remained largely peaceful and under control till late evening.
“Appropriate action will be taken after complaints regarding vandalisation will be received,” a senior police official said.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the home portfolio, had said in October that the government would bring a stringent anti-conversion law during the recently concluded winter session of the state assembly, though the Bill was not tabled.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Congress communication department head Sushil Anand Shukla alleged that the bandh was sponsored by the government and the RSS.
He claimed that RSS-affiliated organisations and BJP workers enforced the shutdown and created an atmosphere of fear under police protection.
Shukla alleged that incidents of misbehaviour and vandalism in Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur, Raipur, Raigarh and Bastar, claiming that in Raipur’s Magneto Mall, over 100 people entered with sticks and weapons and damaged property in the presence of police.
He said the bandh reflected the government’s failure to address the issue of religious conversions and accused it of seeking political gains from such incidents.
On December 18, several people including more than 20 police personnel were injured in violence at Badetevda village in state’s Kanker district following a dispute between two communities over the burial of a deceased man.
A mob vandalised a prayer hall and set articles inside on fire. Tensions had been brewing since December 16 after Rajman Salam, sarpanch of Badetevda village under Amabeda police station area, buried his father’s body on his private land.
While Salam follows Christianity, some villagers objected to his father’s burial being performed as per Christian rites. The body was exhumed by the administration from the village and buried at another place.
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