Raigarh, Chhattisgarh | February 15, 2026:
In a large public ceremony held at Bargadh Dham in Kharsia (District Raigarh), 272 tribal and Dalit families were formally welcomed back into their indigenous social and cultural fold, after having been drawn away in previous years under the influence of unlawful conversion networks.
The ceremony, attended by over 2,000 people, was organised and led by Prabal Pratap Singh Judev, a prominent leader spearheading awareness and action against unlawful conversions in Chhattisgarh and beyond.
It is pertinent to note that Judev’s father, the late Dilip Singh Judev – former Member of Parliament and Union Minister of State for Forest and Environment – had pioneered a similar reclamation movement among tribal and Dalit communities in undivided Madhya Pradesh in the 1980s. He became widely known for symbolically washing the feet of returning families as a mark of respect and reconciliation.
Continuing that legacy, Prabal Judev conducted a Vedic havan ceremony and personally washed the feet of participating families, reaffirming their return with dignity and honour.
The event was organised under the aegis of the Dilip Singh Judev Sanatan Foundation, founded by Judev, with support from local organisations. The programme was sponsored by Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation as part of its Swami Shraddhanand Fund initiative, dedicated to addressing unlawful conversions through structured, lawful and community-based engagement.
Swati Goel Sharma, founder of Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation, was present at the ceremony.
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