Daijiworld Media Network - Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Mar 4: At least 30 Christian families in Kopena village in the Nabarangpur district of Odisha are facing mounting discrimination, with villagers reportedly denying them access to their local church and obstructing the burial of a teenage boy, in incidents that have sparked concern among human rights and minority groups.

Residents of the village, which falls under the Umerkote block, say they have been barred from entering the church where they traditionally worship and hold prayer meetings. Community members have alleged that sections of local tribal residents opposed their presence inside the church and have created an environment of fear that has left families feeling increasingly isolated.

The situation took a more distressing turn in mid-February after the death of 13-year-old Ayush Santa, a boy from the Christian community who was suffering from kidney and liver complications.

When Ayush’s family attempted to bury the child according to Christian rites in the village burial ground, several villagers blocked the burial, accusing the family of being Christian and objecting to a Christian ceremony on common land.

Officials from local law enforcement were deployed to the village, and a day-long standoff ensued between the family and villagers. According to the family, they were eventually forced to sign a written declaration stating that the boy would be buried on their private land and that no Christian symbols or rites would be used at the burial site. Only after signing the document were the family permitted to proceed with the burial under police presence.

Leaders of Christian organisations have described the denial of burial rights and access to worship spaces as a violation of constitutional guarantees, including the right to freedom of religion and practise, and have criticised the actions of local residents for fostering an atmosphere of intimidation and discrimination.

The burial dispute comes against a backdrop of multiple reported incidents in Odisha where Christian families have alleged obstruction of burial rights unless they renounce their faith or agree to other conditions. Independent fact-finding missions and religious rights groups have previously documented cases in which Christian burial rites have been blocked or bodies have been exhumed and reburied under pressure, raising concerns about religious exclusion in rural parts of the state.

District officials in Nabarangpur have acknowledged the tensions and, in some cases, intervened to facilitate burial on private land after negotiations. Authorities have also appealed for calm and urged both communities to maintain peace while urging administrative solutions, including the identification of separate burial grounds for different communities where needed to prevent future conflicts.

Religious freedom activists say that such incidents need urgent attention from state and central authorities to ensure that citizens are able to exercise their fundamental rights without fear or restriction, particularly in India’s constitutionally secular framework.