Chhattisgarh: Tension Prevails In Bastar Village Over Burial Dispute

Raipur: Tension prevailed in the village of Bade Tawade under Amabeda panchayat in Kanker district of Bastar in Chhattisgarh following the clash between the local tribals and members of a particular community over burial of a dead man, police said on Friday.

The rival groups fought a pitched battle in the village late on Thursday after the local tribals opposed the burial of the deceased father of the local sarpanch Rajman Salam in his agriculture land, police said.

A ‘prayer room’, being run in a private property in the village was set on fire and the house of the local sarpanch vandalized as the warring groups turned the village into a battlefield, police said.

The provocation of the clash was the burial of 70-year-old Chamraram, father of local sarpanch Rajman Salam, on Thursday, in the latter’s agriculture land in the village, according to the police.

Chamraram was ill for the past few days and died during treatment on December 15.

The local tribals opposed a burial site in the village, saying that it is against the tribal culture, police said.

“The sarpanch was believed to have embraced Christianity, but his father remained a follower of Hindu religion. The sarpanch reportedly performed the last rites of his deceased father as per the customs of Christianity which was protested by the villagers”, additional collector, Antagarh, in Kanker Anjor Singh Paikra told the local media.

The mob also pelted stones at the police leading to injuries to 20 cops including the local additional superintendent of police Ashish Bachore.

“The body was exhumed following a magisterial order on Thursday and sent for postmortem. The body was taken to the crematorium at a place outside the village for last rites after postmortem on Friday”, a senior police officer said.

Heavy police deployment has been made in the village to maintain law and order.

“The situation is tense but under control”, the police officer said.