Kerala Church Decries Ruling on Religious Signboards in Chhattisgarh

The Syro Malabar Church in Kerala has voiced strong objection to a Chhattisgarh High Court ruling that permits the use of signboards in villages barring pastors and converted Christians. Posted on Facebook, the church labeled this as the nation's most divisive act since Partition, claiming it introduces religious discrimination in secular India.

The church described the signboards installed in Chhattisgarh villages as a 'chariot march of institutionalized communalism.' They urged the verdict be legally contested in the Supreme Court, advocating for a constitution-based defense against Hindutva influences that aim to disrupt India's secular fabric.

According to the high court, these signboards were set up by gram sabhas to prevent allegedly forced religious conversions and were not deemed unconstitutional. However, claims arose that these measures segregate Christians and violate religious freedom rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The state government asserts that the action was to protect tribal communities' cultural identity, not to infringe upon religious freedom.