Tripura HC seeks action against persecution of Christianity converted 2 Chakma families ostracized from community

The Tripura High Court under the single bench headed by Justice Arindam Lodh on Tuesday asked to stop religious persecution after 2 Chakma families of Unakoti district of the state, who converted their religion from Buddhism to Christianity were ostracized from the community.

Filing a writ petition with the High Court, one Purnomoy Chakma and Tarun Chakma alleged that they were ostracized by two Chakma bodies of Uttar Andharcharra Chakma Samajik Bichar Committee in Unakoti district and Kanchancherra Chakma Samajik Adam Panchayat in North Tripura district after they converted their religion into Christianity.

They further alleged that soon after the conversion of their religion the local Chakma bodies stopped their daily livelihood by forcing them to stay away from any sorts of earning and expelled them from the community.

Speaking on the issue senior advocate Samrat Kar Bhowmik on Tuesday said that expressing his utter surprise with the incident, the Tripura High Court single bench headed by Justice Arindam Lodh made the state government party in the case and directed the administration to take necessary action and put an end stop to such religious discrimination as being practised by the Chakma bodies.

He said that the court has also directed to take stern action against those Samajpatis or self-styled headman and the members of Chakma community who indulge themselves in such unconstitutional activities of religious discrimination.

Purnomoy Chakma, one of the persons who converted, is a daily wage labourer of MGNREGA scheme, while another Tarun Chakma is an autorickshaw driver by profession. The Christian Chakma families have also alleged in their petition that they were being prevented from attending Church services, Kar told reporters.

He said that the Advocate General Siddhartha Sankar Dey, who had pleaded with the Court on behalf of the state government, assured full cooperation from the state machinery in this case. The next hearing of the case is scheduled to be held after the Puja vacation.