Sukma Gram Sabha Bars Use of Village Land for Christian Burials, Religious Activities

Sukma, Chhattisgarh, October 5, 2026: A special gram sabha in Pompalli village of Sukma district has passed a resolution prohibiting the use of village land for Christian burials, prayer meetings, faith-healing sessions and church construction, raising questions over the limits of gram sabha powers in Scheduled Areas.

The gram sabha has also decided to install a notice at the village entrance declaring that “not an inch” of land under its jurisdiction would be allotted to the Christian community. A separate notice is proposed to prohibit pastors and Christian preachers from entering the village for alleged conversions or other religious activities.

The resolution invokes the Fifth Schedule and Article 244(1) of the Constitution, as well as the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), and the corresponding PESA framework in Chhattisgarh. These provisions empower gram sabhas in Scheduled Areas to protect tribal traditions and exercise certain powers over community resources.

However, Madkam Bhima, a janpad member, said the legal provisions did not empower a gram sabha to exclude people from access to land solely on the basis of their religion.

The resolution comes amid longstanding tensions over religious identity in parts of Bastar. In January 2025, the Supreme Court intervened in a case involving a Christian tribal family that alleged it had been prevented from burying a deceased family member in the village.

The latest resolution has drawn attention to the balance between the traditional rights of tribal gram sabhas and constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and equality.

Officials said the administration would examine the resolution and take appropriate action if any of its provisions were found to be contrary to existing law.

Compiled by: Catholic Connect Reporter