Chhattisgarh HC rejects petition to remove billboards barring pastors, Christians from villages; rules them precautionary against forced conversions.
Newsroom (07/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a ruling that has intensified debates over religious freedom and tribal rights in India, the Chhattisgarh High Court has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of billboards in at least eight villages that prohibit the entry of pastors and “converted Christians.” The court deemed the signs a legitimate measure to prevent forcible conversions through allurement or fraud, declaring them constitutional.
On October 28, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru held that the billboards were installed “as a precautionary measure to protect the interest of indigenous tribes and local cultural heritage,” as reported by The Indian Express. The decision upholds the authority of village assemblies (Gram Sabhas) under the 1996 Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, which empowers them to safeguard community practices and traditions.
The petition was filed by Digbal Tandi, a resident of Kanker district, who argued that the billboards segregate the Christian community and its leaders from the broader village population. Tandi alleged that the state’s Panchayat Department had directed villages to pass resolutions under the slogan “Hamari parampara hamari virasat” (our tradition, our heritage), which were being exploited to enforce bans on Christians. He contended that these actions misused PESA provisions, fostering religious discrimination and hostility toward the minority faith, according to The Indian Express.
Additional Advocate General YS Thakur defended the billboards in court, asserting that Gram Sabhas operated within their legal powers. Thakur clarified that the signs were “only meant to prevent only for the limited purpose of prohibiting only those pastors of the Christian religion belonging to other villages who are entering the village for the purpose of illegal conversion of the tribal peoples.” The billboards, prominently displayed at village entrances, explicitly aim to curb “forced religious conversions,” sparking widespread controversy over their implications for freedom of movement and religion.
Chhattisgarh, with a population of approximately 30 million, is overwhelmingly Hindu at over 93 percent, while Christians constitute less than 2 percent. The state is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has held national power since 2014 and maintains close ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization. Religious minorities, including Christians, have reported a surge in harassment under BJP rule, which emphasizes a Hindu-first agenda. Nationwide, incidents against Christians have risen, involving detentions or arrests for alleged “attempted conversion” and vandalism of places of worship.
The court’s verdict has drawn sharp criticism from Christian leaders. Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, who also serves as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Council of Chhattisgarh (CBCC), expressed profound dismay in an interview with Crux. “It is a very sad situation in our country where a basic human and Constitutional right to free movement can be denied to a citizen of India because some people suspect that some people – Christians – are doing something without even being tried or proved in the court of law,” he stated. Labeling the development “a true case of mobocracy,” the archbishop highlighted concerns over unchecked communal suspicions overriding legal due process.
The ruling reinforces a broader trend in BJP-ruled states, where anti-conversion laws and local initiatives are framed as protections for indigenous cultures but criticized as tools for marginalizing minorities. While proponents view the billboards as essential safeguards for tribal heritage, opponents argue they infringe on fundamental rights enshrined in India’s Constitution, potentially exacerbating social divisions in sensitive scheduled areas.
- Raju Hasmukh with files form Crux Now
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