In October 2025, Devlal Watti found himself in trouble because of his Whatsapp status.
That month, the young sarpanch of Dompadar village, in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, changed his status on the app to a quote from Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees all Indians the freedom to practice and propagate any religion.
Watti is a believer of Koya Punem, the indigenous religion of the Gond, or Koitur, Adivasis in Chhattisgarh. But he had chosen his Whatsapp status in response to increasing hostility against converted Christians in his locality.
“I had been observing for a while that Christians were being criticised for conversions,” he said. “But the fact is all religions and sects that have entered Bastar have left an impact on our indigenous faith.”
Kanker falls within south Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, widely seen as ancestral homeland for Central India’s Adivasis. While Adivasi communities in the region have historically practiced their ancestral religions, over the centuries, Hindu sects have also made inroads among them.
Christianity arrived in central India in the 19th century. Its spread in north Chhattisgarh provoked Hindu anxieties. In 1952, as a counter to Christian missions, the Sangh Parivar established the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in Jashpur, helped by its erstwhile royal family. A member of...
Read more
-
Numerology Number 3 Prediction Today, April 30, 2026: Number 3 individuals will see their wishes fulfilled and gain strong support
-
Career Horoscope Today, April 30, 2026: Gemini Will Act Swiftly in Business Matters; Check What Awaits Other Zodiac Signs
-
Financial Horoscope Today, April 30, 2026: Leo Signs Will Receive Support in Wealth Accumulation, Know the Predictions for Other Signs
-
Afghan man convicted in Kabul airport bombing conspiracy
-
Trump says Iran ‘choking like a stuffed pig’, won’t lift Hormuz blockade
