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| Chhattisgarh a Hotbed of Religious Conversions, Human Trafficking: Tribal Leader Raises Alarm |
Chhattisgarh a Hotbed of Religious Conversions, Human Trafficking
Raipur, Chhattisgarh | August 2025 –
For decades, Chhattisgarh has been described as a stronghold of religious
conversions and human trafficking, a trend allegedly operating under
political protection. Whether in the days of undivided Madhya Pradesh or after
statehood, accusations persist that successive Congress governments
allowed these activities to flourish.
Tribal and Dalit Communities Targeted
According to allegations, economically
vulnerable tribal and Dalit populations in the state are being lured
with financial incentives, promises of better livelihoods, and other
inducements to convert. The tribal-majority Bastar and Surguja
divisions have been repeatedly flagged as epicentres of such operations.
July Arrest Sparks Political Firestorm
On July 25, 2025, Chhattisgarh Government Railway Police in Durg arrested two nuns and a tribal woman from Narayanpur district. Authorities allege they were attempting to transport three tribal girls to Agra via Durg, with the intent to convert them.
Political leaders from the Congress and
Left parties have dismissed the charges as “ordinary” and “fabricated,”
but critics insist these dismissals are premature. The case has even drawn
reactions from political circles as far away as Kerala, raising
questions about why the matter has attracted such high-level attention.
Narayanpur: A District Under the Scanner
Narayanpur, a remote district in Bastar with a
Scheduled Tribe majority, is infamous for deep-rooted conversion
networks.
Ranjan Sarkhel, co-founder of the Gondwana Movement and Gondwana Party,
who has decades of experience working in tribal belts, said:
“This is a serious matter that warrants a
thorough police investigation. Narayanpur’s tribal, social, economic, and
religious rights are constitutionally protected, and the state must uphold
these protections.”
Clash Over Tribal Women’s Rights
The controversy deepened when Left leader
Brinda Karat questioned whether different rules apply to tribal women,
sarcastically asking if they need a “Bajrang Dal passport” to travel for work.
Ranjan rejected this framing:
“Equating this case with ordinary travel
rights for adult women is misleading. Under the guise of employment,
traffickers have taken tribal girls, converted them, and forced them into
bonded labour in cities, where they also face sexual exploitation.”
Past Cases Add Weight to Allegations
Reports of missing tribal girls have
repeatedly surfaced from Chhattisgarh’s interior regions. Critics say such
patterns cannot be ignored.
Bajrang Dal’s Role Defended
Ranjan defended Bajrang Dal, describing
it as a whistleblower organisation:
“Bajrang Dal is active to ensure that no
injustice happens to tribal daughters. Targeting them for raising concerns is
unjust.”
He stressed that no injustice should be done
to anyone — including the arrested nuns — but warned that Congress and Left
parties appear more interested in discrediting the BJP-led Chhattisgarh
government than in uncovering the truth.
Appeal for Stronger Anti-Conversion Law
In the above context, Ranjan has
appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit
Shah, and the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh to bring in a stringent
anti-religious conversion law. He said such legislation is urgently needed
to curb what he described as “a menace growing day by day” in tribal regions.
Call for Caution and Judicial Trust
“We must let the police investigate and let
the courts decide. Political overreach risks burying the truth,”
Ranjan said, urging against unnecessary politicisation of the incident.
Key Chhattisgarh religious conversion, Bastar human trafficking, Narayanpur
nuns arrest, tribal girls trafficking, Gondwana Movement, Bajrang Dal
whistleblower, Brinda Karat passport remark, Congress Left BJP Chhattisgarh
politics, anti-religious conversion law appeal.
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