SUKMA: A gram sabha in a village panchayat in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district has passed a resolution banning the allotment of community land to Christians and converts for burial, construction of churches as well as prayer and religious meetings.
A statement issued by Punpalli village panchayat on Monday said the resolution passed by the special gram sabha referred to Article 244(1) of the Constitution, the Fifth Schedule, the PESA Act 1996, and the amended Chhattisgarh PESA law of 2022.
"Under the resolution, it was decided that no gram sabha land would be provided to Christians and converted persons for burial, construction of churches, prayer meetings or religious meetings. Not even an inch of gram sabha land would be given to them," the release said.
In case of any dispute or law-and-order situation related to the decisions, the concerned administrative and legal authorities would be informed and the prescribed legal procedure would be followed, it said.
The board said the gram sabha had taken the decision under the PESA law to protect the village's cultural identity, traditions, customs and social heritage. It also appealed to villagers to respect the decisions of the gram sabha and local laws.
Punapalli village panchayat has also put up an information board announcing that entry of priests and Christian preachers into the village for religious conversion, prayer meetings and other activities would be prohibited.
Sarpanch Sonmati Madvi, village head Barse Soma, deputy sarpanch Muchki Nanda, gram patel Barse Pandu and other representatives and villagers were present at the special gram sabha, the statement said.
"A special gram sabha was held on October 2 in Punpalli village under Konta Janpad Panchayat to discuss issues related to the traditional social and cultural system of the village, community interests and religious activities at the local level," Janpad Panchayat member and BJP Yuva Morcha leader Madkam Bhima said in a video statement.
"The gram sabha passed 12 proposals, including one to constitute a 'Shanti and Nyay Samiti' (Peace and Justice Committee). If any outsider enters the village for religious preaching or other such activities, the Shanti and Nyay Samiti will have to be informed first," he added.
The gram sabha also passed a resolution that land within the gram panchayat limits would not be provided for burying the bodies of converted families, Bhima said.
Bhima said the decisions had been taken keeping in mind the traditional system, social unity and community interests of the village.
"The decisions of the gram sabha should be respected and all issues should be resolved in accordance with the law and constitutional procedure. This is our priority," he said.
A gram sabha is a village assembly comprising all registered voters in Fifth Schedule Scheduled Areas under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). The Act provides gram sabhas and panchayats in these areas additional powers to protect and maintain traditional systems of governance.