Church voices concern over Chhattisgarh HC upholding village entry ban on pastors

4 NOVEMBER 2025

The Kerala-based Syro Malabar Church has expressed strong concern over a recent Chhattisgarh High Court ruling that upheld the installation of signboards in certain villages prohibiting the entry of pastors and converted Christians.
In a Facebook post, the influential Catholic Church described the development as “the most divisive boundary the country has seen since Partition,” alleging that it marks a new form of “religious discrimination” and institutionalised communalism in secular India.
It claimed thisamounted to segregation of Christians from the mainstream village community and violated Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
The State government, however, maintained that the hoardings were intended to safeguard the local cultural heritage and identity of tribal communities under the provisions of the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, and were aimed at curbing alleged illegal conversions.