7/22/2025 Bangladesh (International Christian Concern) — Although the original homeland of the Santal people remains open to conjecture, they now reside in several countries in South Asia where they are responding to the gospel.

Hinduism and nature worship are their most common religions, but they also tend to have a significantly higher proportion of Christians than the general population of the countries they inhabit — countries that can range from inhospitable to downright dangerous for Christians.

Depending on the source, the worldwide population of Santals ranges from 5 million to 10 million. The largest number of Santals reside in India, where they are found in several states in the eastern part of the country. Bangladesh and Nepal also have sizable Santal populations, and smaller numbers of Santals reside in Bhutan and Myanmar.

Overall, about 5% to 6% of Santals are Christian. Since the tribe first encountered missionaries in the 1860s, Christianity’s concern for the oppressed and poor has resonated with a significant number of them and has seemed like a refreshing alternative to the Hindu caste system.

Sadhu*, a Santal Christian from rural Bangladesh, said there are Santal Christians from “many different denominations” and that Christianity is growing among his people.

Many are displeased by this development. Sadhu, the grandson of a Santal nature worshiper who converted to Catholicism, said that Christian Santals are often bullied online by non-Christian Santals.

“They will tell us, ‘You’re not a Santal. You belong to some other tribe,’” he said. “They don’t attack us in the real world.” But non-Christian Santals, he added, tend to make it clear enough that Christian Santals are unwelcome.

However, there is one issue that, at least temporarily, can unite Santals of all faiths — the prospect of outsiders coming to take their land. Nobody, of course, enjoys having someone steal their land, but it is an especially egregious violation for Santals, most of whom not only rely on their land for economic security but also view the land as a link to their ancestors and a core aspect of their ethnic identity.

Sadhu’s country, Bangladesh, has a current population of 175 million (more than 90% of them Muslim) in an area somewhat smaller than Wisconsin. This means that, except for several city-states, Bangladesh is the world’s most densely populated country. Competition for land and resources can quickly become cutthroat, especially if the aggressors feel a sense of impunity.

Sadhu said that, in Bangladesh, the different religious groups of Santals will temporarily put aside their animosities and “come together to protect their land.” But in many cases, such efforts have been in vain.

The result is that many Santals, regardless of their religion, are now landless and homeless. “We are neglected people,” Sadhu said about the indifference of governments in the countries that Santals inhabit.

In some cases, officials are worse than indifferent, as they are the ones behind the land-grabbing, claiming it is part of a development project or some other ostensibly legitimate endeavor.

Sadhu knows about land-grabbing all too well. In his own village, some 100 acres of land — previously purchased by missionaries for the Santals — was grabbed illegally by members of the Muslim majority. “The government knows it,” Sadhu said. “We have applied to get back our land.”

Reclaiming your land in Bangladesh is a challenging process that often requires multiple rounds of bribes. This scenario is highly inconvenient for Santals, as most of them have very little money. Some Christian Santals are still trying to reclaim land stolen from them many decades ago.

“The same thing is going on in India and Nepal,” said Sadhu, who added that, compared to Bangladesh, Christian Santals generally have a better situation in Nepal and a worse situation in India.

However, compared to other countries, the concept of coexistence in Bangladesh can prove fragile under certain conditions. During the summer of 2024, widespread violent uprisings in Bangladesh caused the former prime minister to flee the country.

Amid the power vacuum and general lawlessness, multiple sources reported that some groups of radical Islamists were actively on the hunt for religious minorities.

Sadhu abruptly went quiet on the subject of a radical Islamist hit list. Then, giving a sly grin, he said he had no comment. But he was willing to say that, during last year’s lawlessness, “there were many places where Santals were attacked,” particularly in parts of Bangladesh near the border with India. Fortunately, he added, conditions are “back to normal by now.”

Even in the best of times, Sadhu said Santals “are generally very poor.” But he didn’t want to blame any outside group for the lack of employment opportunities. Though keenly aware of his dual identity as a Christian Santal, he was concerned for the plight of all people in his tribe.

Sadhu never once said a harsh word about the non-Christian Santals who might harass him online or exclude him in real life. It seemed there was no room for such resentment, as people in his dual demographic face bigger problems from society at large.

*Name changed to protect identities

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