“They threatened that they would kill everybody present at Kashyap’s home if they proceeded against the village’s customs,” Pastor Kawasi said.
On Wednesday (May 6), the Christians called ADF India’s Chhattisgarh Legal Aid Centre, and shortly thereafter the officer-in-charge of the Mardum police station arrived with the village revenue officer and his police force, he said.
“The revenue officer showed us the land for burial, and the funeral service was possible in the presence of police at around 4 p.m. the next day,” Pastor Kawasi said.
More Death Threats
Christians also were attacked recently in Dantewada District.
Nila Kunjam, 25, was at her home the morning of April 19 when three middle-aged villagers stormed in, area resident Sushil Kumar Kunjam said.
“It was around eight in the morning when we heard screams from Nila Kunjam’s home,” Kumar Kunjam told Morning Star News. “The assailants were shouting at her parents, ‘How dare you allow your daughter to partake in Christian prayers?’ Soon they drove her forcefully out of her home to a distance of about 50 meters as they beat her on her back, head and knees.”
A mob of at least 60 villagers gathered, accusing Kunjam of defiling her caste, he said.
“The mob kept looking on as the three assailants beat the 25-year-old Christian woman and vowed that they would kill her,” Kumar Kunjam told Morning Star News. “I followed the mob and started videotaping the brutality happening in front of my eyes, but they snatched away my phone and slapped me tightly on my cheeks.”
Nila Kunjam received severe blows on her back and knees and had to be admitted for hospital treatment, he said. Her family filed a complaint at Bacheli police station, but officers told them they couldn’t take any action until the government lifts a lockdown ordered to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, he told Morning Star News.
Other village Christians have also suffered. On Friday (May 8), two tribal leaders went to a pond where Christian women were bathing and washing clothes and threatened to kill them if they touched the water again, Kumar Kunjam said.
“As there is a severe water shortage, the common pond is the only source of water,” he said. “The common pond is for all the villagers, but they accuse Christians of defiling the pond.”
Also in Dantewada District, axe-wielding tribal animists in Jaram village on April 6 lingered outside a Christian family’s home at about 11 p.m., Pastor Anand Rao Nag said. Mangduram Kashyap, his wife Lalita Bai Kashyap and their children locked themselves inside fearing for their lives, Pastor Nag said.
They called Pastor Nag, who was unable to go to their home to help due to the coronavirus lockdown, he said. He maintained constant phone contact with them.
