Chhattisgarh’s Kanker On Edge: Burial Dispute Sparks Clash

Kanker: Several people including more than 20 police personnel were injured in violence at Badetevda village in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district following a dispute between two communities over the burial of a deceased man. A mob vandalised a prayer hall and set fire to articles inside. An Additional Superintendent of Police was among the injured, but the situation was now under control, officials said.

Tensions had been brewing since December 16 after Rajman Salam, sarpanch of Badetevda village under Amabeda police station area, buried his father Chamra Ram Salam's body on his private land. While Salam is a convert, some villagers objected to his father's burial being performed as per his new religion-stipulated rites, said a senior police official.

Some villagers raised suspicion over the manner of the death, demanding exhumation of the body. They also alleged that the burial was not conducted in accordance with local customs, the official said. Acting on the complaint, an executive magistrate ordered exhumation which was carried out on Thursday afternoon in the presence of police and district officials. An inquest and post-mortem examination will be conducted and further legal action will follow, the official said.

"The issue created a tense situation in the village. Groups confronted each other and incidents of stone-pelting occurred. Police took steps to control the situation. There was also damage to property," the official said. More than 20 police personnel, including an ASP, sustained injuries and were sent to hospital, he said. In a video statement released on December 17, Rajman Salam had said that his father died due to an illness at a hospital in Kanker on the evening of December 15.

His body was brought to the village the next morning, following which he informed gram panchayat members and village elders that although he had embraced Christianity, his father did not attend church, he said. Hence, he wanted his father to be buried as per village customs, and he himself wanted to participate in the last rites, said Rajman. But a rival who had lost to him in the sarpanch election opposed his participation, he claimed.

"As I was not allowed to participate, I called my Vishwasi (Christian) friends and performed the burial as per our rituals," Rajman said. Those who had lost the panchayat polls mobilised outsiders and instigated protests demanding exhumation of the body, he alleged. Police had asked for his consent for exhumation to avoid escalation of the dispute, but he had refused, he said.

According to police, there were minor clashes on Wednesday following which security was tightened and barricades were erected to prevent outsiders from entering Badetevda. However, on Thursday, some people who were carrying sticks entered the village, triggering fresh violence, said an official.

After the body was exhumed, a mob went on a rampage and vandalised a prayer hall. Police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Police have restricted the entry of outsiders for now and deployed additional force in the area.

A team of government officials along with a team of senior police officers who took stock of the situation in the village. The police have conducted a flag march. “Police are investigating the matter and action will be taken against those found guilty. The public has been appealed to not take the law into their own hands. Police officers and district administration officials are there to cooperate with the locals.

A large section of society is upset that conversions are being carried out through deception, inducements, and various other means. Now, the situation is under control,“ said Vijay Sharma, deputy CM.