A notice issued by the Forest Department to remove a cross from a hillock has triggered protests by members of the Christian community in Dharampur taluka in Valsad district of Gujarat.
The structure, a red-painted cross with a fenced enclosure built on a seven square feet area, is located on Sulliya hillock in Motikorad village. The Forest Department claims it was built on reserve forest land without permission. However, protestors argue that the local Gram Panchayat approved the structure nearly 17 years ago and that it holds deep religious significance for the local Christian tribal population.
According to documents accessed via the Right to Information (RTI) Act, residents submitted a memorandum on 15 April 2025 to the Dharampur Prant Officer and Deputy Collector, Amit Chaudhary, asking for the cross to be allowed to remain. They stated that prayers have been conducted at the site since 2008 and that no one had objected to its presence over the years. They also pointed out that there are other religious structures on the hillock, but only the cross has been targeted for removal.
Despite these claims, the Dharampur Range Forest Officer (RFO) recently served a notice to members of a local church responsible for the cross, ordering its removal. An RTI filed to the RFO office requesting further details received no response.
In response, members of the Christian community held a protest rally starting from Birsa Munda Chowk and marching for two kilometres to the Prant office in Dharampur. They were led by Kalpesh Patel, a Congress member of the Dharampur Taluka Panchayat, along with Yusuf Gamit, former president of the Songadh Taluka Panchayat in Tapi district.
The memorandum, which was accessed via RTI, states: “The cross structure was erected on the forest land on Sulliya hillock in Motikorad village… and people from nearby villages have regularly been carrying out prayers there since 2008. The villagers had also passed a resolution at the Gram Panchayat about setting up the structure and nobody objected to it. The Sulliya hillock has become a tourist destination due to its beauty, and many people visit it regularly. There are thousands of Christian tribals residing in the villages near Motikorad, and their religious sentiments are attached to the said structure. There are non-Christian tribals in the area, and they don’t object to such a structure.”
The memorandum criticised the Forest Department for singling out the Christian structure, even though there are other religious symbols on the same hillock. It added that Christian tribals from Dharampur and nearby Kaprada taluka strongly oppose the demolition and want the cross to remain untouched.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Valsad, Lokesh Bhardwaj, confirmed to The Indian Express that a complaint had been received and that the structure was found on encroached forest land. “We have asked the caretakers to remove it voluntarily. If they don’t, we will act with the help of the district administration and police,” he said.
According to RTI documents, the Forest Department issued notices to Shravan Jamadar, the caretaker, on 27 March, 1 and 4 April, asking him to remove the cross. The notices warned that legal action would be taken if the structure was not removed.
According to RTI documents, forest officials also met local villagers and leaders to explain the legal issues involved. During the meeting, they requested the community to remove the cross and any other unauthorised religious structures on their own to resolve the matter amicably.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Religious/Sacred/Cultural value
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
