Hyderabad, Sept. 21 -- A new, unofficial order passed in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, has left the Christian community in distress. In the past few months, the state has seen a sharp rise in church shutdowns either due to fears of attacks by Hindutva mobs or because of complaints alleging forced conversions.

Under the Chhattisgarh Sarvajanik Dharmik Bhawan Tatha Sthan Viniyaman Adhiniyam, 1984, a law created before the formation of Chhattisgarh itself, no person is allowed to use any public place as a permanent religious site or even as a temporary one without prior written permission from the Collector.

Additionally, constructing new public religious buildings or converting existing private or public properties into religious sites also requi...