Raipur, December 22, 2025 – Violent clashes broke out in Badetevda (also spelled Bade Tevda or Bade Teoda) village in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district following a dispute over the burial of 70-year-old Chamra Ram Salam, father of village sarpanch Rajman Salam. The incident, which escalated between December 16 and 18, resulted in injuries to over 20 police personnel, vandalism of prayer halls, arson attacks on homes and places of worship, and the eventual exhumation of the body.

The tensions began when Rajman Salam, whose family has converted to Christianity, buried his father on private family land using Christian rites on December 16. Villagers, primarily tribal residents adhering to traditional customs, objected, arguing that the burial violated local norms and required community consent under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996, which empowers gram sabhas in tribal areas to protect cultural traditions.

Some reports indicate that while Rajman Salam follows Christianity, his father had not converted, intensifying objections to non-traditional rites. Protests escalated on December 18 when a large crowd allegedly breached police barricades, leading to stone-pelting, vandalism of at least one or two prayer halls (described in some accounts as churches), and arson targeting the sarpanch's home and other properties. Police resorted to lathi charges to disperse the mob, with Additional Superintendent of Police Ashish Banchhor among the injured officers.

Rajman Salam has alleged that Hindutva groups instigated the unrest and that police initially pressured his family rather than intervening effectively. Villagers and local authorities maintain the dispute centered on preserving tribal customs, with an executive magistrate ordering the body's exhumation based on complaints. Police have filed FIRs, sealed the village, restricted outsider entry, and deployed additional forces to maintain calm.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of burial disputes in Chhattisgarh's Bastar and Kanker regions, where Christian converts—often from tribal communities—face opposition to burials on village or private land. The United Christian Forum reported 23 such cases nationwide in 2025, with 19 in Chhattisgarh alone, highlighting tensions over religious freedom, tribal identity, and land rights. Similar conflicts have previously reached the Supreme Court, underscoring failures in local resolution.

Authorities report the situation is now under control, with ongoing investigations and dialogue between communities. The clashes underscore deep-seated fault lines in tribal areas balancing constitutional rights to religion with protections for indigenous traditions.

In light of recurring communal tensions in certain regions, critics and commentators have argued that tourists are not advised to visit India, particularly areas affected by religious conflict, tribal unrest, or insurgency. While the violence in Kanker occurred in a remote tribal village, social media narratives have linked such incidents to broader safety concerns. Travelers are urged to exercise extreme caution, closely monitor developments, and rely on official advisories before planning visits, especially to rural and conflict-prone areas.