Church and sacred grove coexisted in Odisha village for 18 years. Two weeks ago, that changed

A peace committee meeting was recently held. Officials say the “situation is normal now”. (Express Photo)

The incident comes close on the heels of an attack on a pastor in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district.

Krutibas Santa, a local Christian, said the church has been there since 2008, and they never faced hostility until January 18, when villagers asked Christians to shift the church and pray at home.

“Tribals want the church to be shifted from its existing location as they plan a seven-day havan near the grove (Mati Maa) in February. They say their priest has told them there can’t be a havan unless the church is shifted,” Krutibas told The Indian Express.

He said the Christians conveyed they can pause the prayers till the havan, but that did not convince the tribals. “When we asked for land near the village, where we can make a church and hold prayers, the tribals told us to set up a new church outside the village,” Krutibas, a farmer, claimed.

Trinath Santa, another local Christian, said that on Sunday, a group of young men disrupted the prayers. “They used loudspeakers to issue threats and warned they would demolish the church if prayers were held again,” claimed Trinath.

While members of the Christian community claimed the church has been established on private land, officials claim it has been set up on Gochar land, a common property in villages.

Local Christians said they lodged a complaint with the Umerkote police but later withdrew it, after the local administration held a meeting between the two groups on Tuesday to restore peace in the village.

“They have given us a fortnight to take a call on shifting the church. We don’t know what to do. Had we indulged in any anti-social activities or disturbed the peace, they could have forced us. We have been praying here since 2008 and have never faced such a situation,” said Krutibas.

Ratan Gond, a local representative of the tribal community, admitted they wanted the church shifted and that a crowd had locked the premises on Monday.

Gond claimed that tension prevailed after the Christians approached the police. “The matter should have been resolved in our village in a cordial manner. They escalated the matter to the police station,” Gond told The Indian Express.

To avoid any untoward incident, two platoons of the police force (nearly 80 personnel) have been deployed in the village, while senior officials have been directed to monitor the situation.

Umerkote inspector-in-charge Ramakanta Sai said the Christians lodged a police complaint on Tuesday. “After the peace committee meeting, they said they want to live in peace and harmony and don’t want the case to be registered,” said Sai.

Nabarangpur collector Maheswar Swain said the situation is normal now. “The church has been unlocked after the peace committee meeting, and the villagers have decided to settle the matter amicably,” said Swain.