Roughly 100 Christians in the Sukma District of Chhattisgarh State in India have been confined to one space or banned from their villages because of their faith.
Recently 40 Christians with the New Bethesda Jesus Tribal Ministry in east-central India have been held up in their church for the past two weeks, according to the Julie Roys Report. This is because the village council decided to ban Christians from their area unless they publicly renounced their faith in Jesus.
On Nov. 17 a joint resolution was decided between eight village councils stating anyone who doesn't denounce their faith must leave the village or risk having their homes and fields looted.
The next day, Nov. 18, some of the Christians in the Michwar Village went to the police to file a complaint only to go home to 1,500 angry individuals looting their agricultural harvests.
Legally, according to Article 25 of the Indian Constitution there is a guarantee of freedom of religion or belief. However, the police ended up doing nothing after the incident.
"We call on state authorities to intervene as a matter of urgency, ensuring that reparations are made for any loss of or damage to property since the resolution was passed," says Mervyn Thomas, the founding president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). "And that Christians in these villages are free to return to their lives and livelihoods without fear of further threats, harassment or intimidation."
There have been 687 incidents of violence in 2023 alone towards Christians in India.
"Christian activities are constantly met with resistance. Today in India, particularly in rural areas, Christians are exposed to danger just for being Christians. They never know quite when an attack might happen. The triggers could even be something as simple as Christians gathering in a home for a private prayer meeting or Bible study."
The Christians who are living out of the church building are currently being provided food from local international organizations.
"When families are driven away from their villages, they lose their base and have to start all over again. Many do not return due to fear of hostility or further attacks."