Tensions wrapped Kapena, Odisha’s predominantly tribal village in the district of Nabarangpur, as a Christian family was allegedly not allowed to bury a lifeless 13-year-old boy at the burial ground on Sunday, amidst the dispute over the Christian hall.
Krutibas Santa, a Christian native of Kapena, lost his son after a prolonged kidney illness in the wee hours of 14 February. Ahead of the death, other residents of the village blocked access to the cemetery, stopping the grieving family from performing the final rituals for their son.
Krutibas told FoEJ Media that the villagers blocked the cemetery and opposed the burial of his son’s body because of the prevailing tension over the relocation of the church, which has been closed for a long time now.
The family then performed the last rituals of the son and buried the body on their own registered land, a decision that came ahead of the intervention of the district administration and police. However, they were told not to bury any other family members on their own registered land in the future.
“When we buried him, we were told that in the future, if anyone from our family dies, we should not bury them there but instead on our own land,” Krutibas told FoEJ Media.
The village has no separate hall or cemetery ground for the Christian community; they reportedly use a small portion of the ground to bury their dead. However, over the past few months the villagers have asked that the Christian prayer hall be removed from the current location. The village has approximately 200 households from the majority community and 30 Christian families.
Krutibas also had to sign a declaration that no religious symbol would be put on the gravestone of his son and that peace would be maintained in the village.
“The villagers, including some of the deceased minor’s relatives who do not belong to the Christian community, opposed the burial even on his privately registered land. They insisted that the body be taken outside the village,” Umerkote Additional Tahsildar Nilambar Pujari told Indian Express.
The Christian community has expressed strong indignation on the untoward incident. “Is there no place in a state minister’s constituency to bury a 13-year-old child? Is there no permanent solution from the administration to stop this repeated harassment of minorities? Why are innocent people being misled for political gain? The National Christian Front has warned that if adequate measures are not taken immediately for the funeral rites of the deceased child, it will take to the streets to protest,” said Pallab Lima, president of the National Christian Front.
The situation in the village is under control now.
Spate of Burial Objections in Recent Years
As per the reports of the Catholic Connect, in the past years, at least five such incidents have surfaced in different parts of the Nabarangpur district. In a few cases families allege that the FIR was either not lodged or that no arrests were made.
On March 3, 2025, in Siunaguda village, the lifeless body of 75-year-old Kesab Santa reportedly lay on the street for hours after villagers objected to his burial because his children embraced Christianity. In yet another case, 19-year-old Sarwan Gond, hailing from Nabarangpur district, died in Maharashtra while digging a borewell. When the body was brought, the common graveyard was blocked, and the family had to bury him on their own land with legal permission.
