Raipur: The Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed a petition that sought the removal of hoardings installed in some eight villages in the state, banning entry to pastors and “converted Christians. The court observed that the said boards are installed with the intention to prevent forcible conversion by allurement or fraudulent means, and therefore they cannot be called unconstitutional, The Indian Express reported.
In its October 28 order, the HC bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru said that the hoardings were erected by concerned Gram Sabhas as a protective measure to protect the interests of indigenous tribes and local cultural heritage.
The court disposed of the petition filed by a resident of Kanker district, who had filed a writ petition over the issue. He argued that hoardings segregate the Christian community and their religious leaders from the mainstream village community. The petitioner alleged that he Panchayat Department was instructing the zila panchayat, janpad panchayat and eventually the gram panchayat to pass resolution/oath in the name and style “Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat (Our tradition, our heritage)” and the real intention of the circular to the gram panchayat is to instruct them to pass a resolution prohibiting the entry of Christian pastors and “converted Christians” in the village, TIE reported.
The villages, which erected the boards, banned pastors and “converted Christians”, in a bid to create fear of violence among the members of the Christian minority over entering villages they used to visit. The petitioner also alleged that the circular was passed by misusing provisions of the Panchayat (Extension to Schedule Area) Act (PESA), 1996, to spread religious hatred against members of the Christian community.
However, the court decided to rule that “…the installation of the hoardings for preventing forcible conversion by way of allurement or fraudulent means cannot be termed as unconstitutional,” TIE quoted the court.