India’s top court declines to lift village bans on Christians

India’s Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal challenging restrictions imposed by village councils in central India’s Chhattisgarh state that bar the entry of Christian missionaries and converts, amid rising concerns over anti-Christian hostility in parts of the country.

The court on Feb. 16 declined to interfere with an Oct 2025 ruling of the Chhattisgarh High Court in Bilaspur. That court had directed the petitioner to approach authorities under the state’s Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Rules — known as the PESA Rules — which govern self-administration in tribal areas.

The case stems from hoardings erected in several villages in Kanker district in July 2025, prohibiting the entry of Christian missionaries, including pastors, and Christians who had converted from other religions.

Village councils, which function as legally recognised local self-governing bodies in India’s tribal areas, said the measures were intended to curb alleged religious conversions.
Digbal Tandi, a Protestant Christian from the region, challenged the restrictions in the Chhattisgarh High Court, arguing that they violated Christians’ constitutional rights to freedom of religion and movement. He sought to have the orders quashed.
The High Court dismissed his petition and observed that the restrictions were imposed “as a precautionary measure to protect the interest of indigenous tribes and local cultural heritage.” Tandi then appealed to the Supreme Court.

Advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the petitioner, argued that the High Court had made adverse observations about missionary activities in tribal areas without any evidence on record.

However, the Supreme Court declined to intervene and advised the petitioner to seek relief from village councils or other appropriate statutory authorities under the PESA framework.

“It is surprising that the Supreme Court chose not to intervene against such arbitrary orders,” said Pastor Joy Mathew, who provides legal assistance to persecuted Christians in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

“Freedom of movement is a fundamental right, and curtailing it is not acceptable,” Mathew told UCA News on Feb. 17.

He said the petitioner should seek proof from the state government of any alleged inducement or forced conversions, arguing that the village councils’ orders lacked valid legal grounds.

Tandi also expressed disappointment.

“In this case, both constitutional courts failed to protect the fundamental rights of Christians,” he told UCA News on Feb. 17. “We are now exploring further legal options, as it is the duty of the court to safeguard the fundamental rights of every citizen.”

According to Tandi, what began in a few villages in July 2025 has spread. “Now at least 19 villages in Chhattisgarh have put up boards restricting the entry of Christians,” he said, adding that similar bans have reportedly surfaced in parts of Odisha and Jharkhand states.

A.C. Michael, a former member of the Delhi State Minorities Commission, said courts should require state governments to provide evidence before endorsing such restrictions.

“Christians are being denied their constitutional rights based on unproven allegations of religious conversion, which is very unfortunate,” Michael told UCA News on Feb. 17.

“If there is evidence that Christians are forcibly converting people, it should be made public,” he said, adding that no court in India has so far convicted anyone of forced conversion based on such allegations.

Michael also noted that in September 2022, the Supreme Court asked the federal government and eight states to submit data on cases of forced religious conversions. “To date, no such list has been produced,” he said.

Christians make up about 2.3 percent of India’s 1.4 billion people, while Hindus account for roughly 80 percent of the population.

This article was originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/indias-top-court-declines-to-lift-village-bans-on-christians/111933