A tribal family of six, including four school-going children, is living in a forest after villagers allegedly forced them out of their home in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, India, for following the Christian faith.
The family fled Todohur village on June 28 after influential villagers allegedly warned them to leave or face violence, according to family head Ray Singh Karanga.
“They threatened to attack us if we stayed in the village. We had no choice but to leave to protect our lives,” Karanga told the private media outlet.
Karanga said the villagers have told the family they can only return if they publicly reject Christianity, but they have refused to do so.
“My wife, our four children and I have nowhere to go. We don’t know what our future will be,” he said.
He also said the village community had isolated the family because of their Christian beliefs, although they had never officially converted to Christianity. He said the family intends to lodge a complaint with the police.
Karanga’s daughter, who studies in Grade 10, said the family left in such a hurry that they could not take their schoolbooks or uniforms.
“Our classes have already started, and we don’t want to miss school, but we don’t know what to do,” she said.
According to Karanga, a friend later brought food to the family in the forest, where they have been staying since leaving the village.
The incident is the latest reported case involving alleged pressure on Indigenous people and Dalits, formerly known as “untouchables,” who have embraced Christianity or follow Christian practices in Chhattisgarh, a state governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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