The Church in India is proposing to institute a national day of remembrance for the modern martyrs of the nation, scheduling it for the last Sunday in August, in memory of the 2008 violence in the state of Orissa.
That conflict erupted after a Hindu leader was killed and fanatics blamed his death on Christians. At least 80 people died in the violence and dozens of Church properties were destroyed. Thousands fled the area.
The Indian episcopal conference's Commission for Ecumenism is proposing a remembrance day in honor of the priests, religious and laypeople who "sacrificed their lives because of their faith in Christ," the Fides news agency reported.
They are the "modern martyrs" of today's India, the commission stated.
The proposal has the agreement of all Christian confessions in India. If the proposal is approved, it will be celebrated as an ecumenical event, drawing in all Christian faithful.
Bishop Anil Couto of Jullundur, president of the Commission for Ecumenism, emphasized that martyrdom is the highest form of love.
He said that it is important to remember "all those who died in the name of the Lord Jesus."
"It is a memory we wish to confirm and continue for the benefit of the new generations," the bishop said. And he added that celebrating the martyrs in an ecumenical event reinforces Christian unity in India.
Meanwhile, delegates from an Indian Catholic youth movement are making an appeal for an end to the violence.
More than 500 young people of the group took part in a demonstration for peace, which was held in Mangalore.
The Christian community has criticized the delay of justice: Only a small percentage of those arrested for the Orissa violence have been sentenced. And those who have been released are considered a new threat to eye-witnesses of the violence.
Showing posts with label Orissa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orissa. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, October 31, 2008
Catholic Priest matryed in India
as my readers are aware there is a well and proper persecution of Catholics in India. Today I found this article in Zenit. I urge you all the intercede with God that the blood of these Martyrs brings about a rebirth of Christianity in India.
Father Bernard Digal, 45, died in a hospital Wednesday from wounds he sustained in late August, when he was beaten by Hindu extremists.
The priest served in the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, in the state of Orissa, the hotbed for a large portion of the anti-Christian violence that has plagued India since the August death of a Hindu leader.
Father Mrutyunjay Digal, secretary of Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of that archdiocese, announced the priest's death to the Fides news agency. He said the community was in "a moment of mourning, of silence and of prayer for the entire local Church."
"During his life, Father Bernard showed determination and courage to give testimony and die for Christ," the secretary added. "He has died as an authentic Christian; immediately after the attack he suffered, he pardoned his enemies and persecutors."
The Fides agency cited Indian Christian organizations in reporting that some 100 Christians have died as a result of the wave of persecution, while thousands have been wounded. Some 15,000 Christians are living in refugee camps and perhaps as many as 40,000 more have fled to the jungle to hide from the extremists.
Father Bernard Digal, 45, died in a hospital Wednesday from wounds he sustained in late August, when he was beaten by Hindu extremists.
The priest served in the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, in the state of Orissa, the hotbed for a large portion of the anti-Christian violence that has plagued India since the August death of a Hindu leader.
Father Mrutyunjay Digal, secretary of Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of that archdiocese, announced the priest's death to the Fides news agency. He said the community was in "a moment of mourning, of silence and of prayer for the entire local Church."
"During his life, Father Bernard showed determination and courage to give testimony and die for Christ," the secretary added. "He has died as an authentic Christian; immediately after the attack he suffered, he pardoned his enemies and persecutors."
The Fides agency cited Indian Christian organizations in reporting that some 100 Christians have died as a result of the wave of persecution, while thousands have been wounded. Some 15,000 Christians are living in refugee camps and perhaps as many as 40,000 more have fled to the jungle to hide from the extremists.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
" Well ! Well....! Mr. Advani ! "
What follows below is a letter from Fr. Cedric Prakash in response to LK Advani dealing with the recent religious violence against Christians in India
" Well ! Well....! Mr. Advani ! "
- Fr. Cedric Prakash sj *
Well....! Well....! Mr. Advani ! Well "spoken" indeed !
You have called for "inter-religious dialogue" and in no uncertain terms you say (there are media reports quoting you) "I strongly condemn these acts of violence and vandalism which cannot be condoned or justified. The law must take its course and the culprits must be brought to justice..."
Well, Mr. Advani.... I, for one, would like to believe this statement. Unfortunately, your track record exposes your double speak and well, your insincerity.
As somebody aspiring to be a future Prime Minister of the country, (and the fact that you are the icon of the BJP), you will have to first rein in all the fascist forces that support your ideology and your agenda. How about booking the many from the Bajrang Dal, the RSS and the VHP who have systematically been attacking Churches and killing innocent Christians in different parts of the country ? (Orissa and Karnataka are just current examples of this reality.) How about disassociating yourself from them completely ? and perhaps, joining vast sections of the country who call for their ban ?
When you call for "inter-religious dialogue", I don't suppose you mean that men and women of faith should talk or dialogue with terrorist organizations ? Or do you ?
You say you have a "soft corner" for Christians but then, how is it that you have never raised your voice when the Christians of Gujarat were attacked in 1998/99 by these same fascist forces and when they continue to be attacked in several other parts of the country ? You thought it prudent enough not to make a statement on Sunday 14th September when Christians and Churches were being attacked in Karnataka - just as the National BJP meeting was concluding in the State. It amuses me that you had to go to Shillong and make a statement several days after thousands of Christians have been hounded from their homes and property in Orissa. Do you think such hollow statements can actually give the BJP votes there ? In your wisdom, did you not think it would have been more appropriate, if in Bangalore, your party passed a resolution condemning the attacks on Christians and other minorities in this country ? So why go to Shillong to make your statement ....? Do you think that the "Aaam aadmi" (ordinary person) – cannot see through your ploy.... ?
However, can we start from the very beginning....?
What about 1990 when you began the Rath Yatra with much fanfare ? In an attempt to destroy the secular fabric of our Constitution, your "Rath of Death" polarized Gujarat and several parts of the country as never before. Yes, it definitely garnered you votes and perhaps put your party in power (for which they are eternally grateful ! ). But any one with conventional wisdom will tell you that narrow short-term gains normally negate long-term acceptance and solutions. Hitler and his Nazi party is a classic example.
As of now, you represent my Constituency in Parliament. When hundreds of innocent Muslims were burnt alive and gang-raped in our streets, you declared that it was the ISI that was responsible for setting the S6 coach on fire ! Have you ever condemned the brutality and the inhumanity taking place in your own Constituency ? When you speak of "justice", can you echo and re-echo the words of your mentor (the former PM), to your protégé here (the Chief Minister (Narendra Modi) of this land dedicated to Satyagraha and Ahimsa) that he should be following "Rajdharma" ? How about raising your voice for victims of the Gujarat Carnage ?
Today in your Constituency, if one is a Muslim, one cannot buy or own a shop. Besides, in many areas, Christians too are treated as second-class citizens.
Some housing societies have very clearly stated in their byelaws that Muslims would not be allowed to stay in that society. The irony is, we have the byelaws of one society which clearly state that "Muslims and Sindhis" will not be permitted to live in that housing society. So why don't you try buying a house in that society ?
Well....Well....Mr. Advani, this is your Constituency ! Your goons came for the Muslims first, then for the Christians....It is only a matter of time before they come for the "Sindhis" (caste group that Mr Advani belongs to) !
It is definitely not too late Mr. Advani....you can still show India and the world that you still cherish the values that were imparted to you through a Christian education : of tolerance, compassion, sense of justice and fair play, of equality, of respect for all religious, of not allowing people to take law and order into their own hands....and hopefully show your secular face.
You have a little over five years to prove it. And if the fascists of the country allow you or me to still be around in 2014, you may still have a chance to then aspire to be Prime Minister. Until then, just forget it .....
Well ! Well....! Mr. Advani !
(* Fr. Cedric Prakash sj is the Director of "Prashant", the Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
' PRASHANT '
(A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
Near Kamdhenu Hall
Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad 380 052
Gujarat, India
Tel: 91 79 66522333 /27455913
Fax: 91 79 27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com
www.humanrightsindia.in
2nd October 2008
" Well ! Well....! Mr. Advani ! "
- Fr. Cedric Prakash sj *
Well....! Well....! Mr. Advani ! Well "spoken" indeed !
You have called for "inter-religious dialogue" and in no uncertain terms you say (there are media reports quoting you) "I strongly condemn these acts of violence and vandalism which cannot be condoned or justified. The law must take its course and the culprits must be brought to justice..."
Well, Mr. Advani.... I, for one, would like to believe this statement. Unfortunately, your track record exposes your double speak and well, your insincerity.
As somebody aspiring to be a future Prime Minister of the country, (and the fact that you are the icon of the BJP), you will have to first rein in all the fascist forces that support your ideology and your agenda. How about booking the many from the Bajrang Dal, the RSS and the VHP who have systematically been attacking Churches and killing innocent Christians in different parts of the country ? (Orissa and Karnataka are just current examples of this reality.) How about disassociating yourself from them completely ? and perhaps, joining vast sections of the country who call for their ban ?
When you call for "inter-religious dialogue", I don't suppose you mean that men and women of faith should talk or dialogue with terrorist organizations ? Or do you ?
You say you have a "soft corner" for Christians but then, how is it that you have never raised your voice when the Christians of Gujarat were attacked in 1998/99 by these same fascist forces and when they continue to be attacked in several other parts of the country ? You thought it prudent enough not to make a statement on Sunday 14th September when Christians and Churches were being attacked in Karnataka - just as the National BJP meeting was concluding in the State. It amuses me that you had to go to Shillong and make a statement several days after thousands of Christians have been hounded from their homes and property in Orissa. Do you think such hollow statements can actually give the BJP votes there ? In your wisdom, did you not think it would have been more appropriate, if in Bangalore, your party passed a resolution condemning the attacks on Christians and other minorities in this country ? So why go to Shillong to make your statement ....? Do you think that the "Aaam aadmi" (ordinary person) – cannot see through your ploy.... ?
However, can we start from the very beginning....?
What about 1990 when you began the Rath Yatra with much fanfare ? In an attempt to destroy the secular fabric of our Constitution, your "Rath of Death" polarized Gujarat and several parts of the country as never before. Yes, it definitely garnered you votes and perhaps put your party in power (for which they are eternally grateful ! ). But any one with conventional wisdom will tell you that narrow short-term gains normally negate long-term acceptance and solutions. Hitler and his Nazi party is a classic example.
As of now, you represent my Constituency in Parliament. When hundreds of innocent Muslims were burnt alive and gang-raped in our streets, you declared that it was the ISI that was responsible for setting the S6 coach on fire ! Have you ever condemned the brutality and the inhumanity taking place in your own Constituency ? When you speak of "justice", can you echo and re-echo the words of your mentor (the former PM), to your protégé here (the Chief Minister (Narendra Modi) of this land dedicated to Satyagraha and Ahimsa) that he should be following "Rajdharma" ? How about raising your voice for victims of the Gujarat Carnage ?
Today in your Constituency, if one is a Muslim, one cannot buy or own a shop. Besides, in many areas, Christians too are treated as second-class citizens.
Some housing societies have very clearly stated in their byelaws that Muslims would not be allowed to stay in that society. The irony is, we have the byelaws of one society which clearly state that "Muslims and Sindhis" will not be permitted to live in that housing society. So why don't you try buying a house in that society ?
Well....Well....Mr. Advani, this is your Constituency ! Your goons came for the Muslims first, then for the Christians....It is only a matter of time before they come for the "Sindhis" (caste group that Mr Advani belongs to) !
It is definitely not too late Mr. Advani....you can still show India and the world that you still cherish the values that were imparted to you through a Christian education : of tolerance, compassion, sense of justice and fair play, of equality, of respect for all religious, of not allowing people to take law and order into their own hands....and hopefully show your secular face.
You have a little over five years to prove it. And if the fascists of the country allow you or me to still be around in 2014, you may still have a chance to then aspire to be Prime Minister. Until then, just forget it .....
Well ! Well....! Mr. Advani !
(* Fr. Cedric Prakash sj is the Director of "Prashant", the Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
' PRASHANT '
(A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
Near Kamdhenu Hall
Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad 380 052
Gujarat, India
Tel: 91 79 66522333 /27455913
Fax: 91 79 27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com
www.humanrightsindia.in
2nd October 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Archbishop of delhi speaks about violence against Christians in India
The "violence and terror" underway in Orissa and in other states in India are not only a problem of "respect for the minorities", but also involve the future of "India's democracy". This is affirmed by the archbishop of the capital, Vincent Concessao, in an interview with AsiaNews. "India, the world’s largest democracy, was recognised as a vibrant multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual democracy. Sadly, today the image of ‘democratic India’ is at stake".
In addition to the violence taking place in Orissa, Karnataka, Madya Pradesh, and Kerala, Archbishop Concessao also cites abuses by Hindu fundamentalists in Delhi. Just yesterday, a Hindutva group occupied the property in front of the church of Prabhu Prakash Girija, in Trilokpuri, in the eastern part of Delhi. The property is used as a garden by the Catholics, and the city authorities have placed limitations on construction on the spot. The church has been maintaining the garden since 1991. But the extremist group has threatened to build a temple there. Last week, they placed statues of Hindu divinities in a niche set up against the wall of the church.
In the past, there have been many clashes between Hindus and Muslims because of attempts by radical Hindus to take possession of Islamic places of worship.
"This is another incident of the growing anti-Christian wave that is spreading its evil tentacles all over our beloved country and sadly, it will have long-term disastrous consequences on secular democracy. These misguided extremists are indoctrinated with the Hinduvta ideology and their methodology and strategy is ‘muscle power’, they do not respond to either reason or dialogue. It is very much like Nazism, they are brainwashed into believing that India should be exclusively Hindu, they do not believe in secular democracy".
"This is very unfortunate, on the one hand on the global stage, India is emerging as a world power in the 21st century, while in our own country, there is growing religious intolerance and human rights and freedom of faith are blatantly violated. The international community and the world leaders who believe in secular democracy must oppose and condemn this gross violation of constitutional rights in India. It is much larger than ‘minority rights’, it is a question of the future of democracy in India".
(Courtesy http://www.asianews.it)
In addition to the violence taking place in Orissa, Karnataka, Madya Pradesh, and Kerala, Archbishop Concessao also cites abuses by Hindu fundamentalists in Delhi. Just yesterday, a Hindutva group occupied the property in front of the church of Prabhu Prakash Girija, in Trilokpuri, in the eastern part of Delhi. The property is used as a garden by the Catholics, and the city authorities have placed limitations on construction on the spot. The church has been maintaining the garden since 1991. But the extremist group has threatened to build a temple there. Last week, they placed statues of Hindu divinities in a niche set up against the wall of the church.
In the past, there have been many clashes between Hindus and Muslims because of attempts by radical Hindus to take possession of Islamic places of worship.
"This is another incident of the growing anti-Christian wave that is spreading its evil tentacles all over our beloved country and sadly, it will have long-term disastrous consequences on secular democracy. These misguided extremists are indoctrinated with the Hinduvta ideology and their methodology and strategy is ‘muscle power’, they do not respond to either reason or dialogue. It is very much like Nazism, they are brainwashed into believing that India should be exclusively Hindu, they do not believe in secular democracy".
"This is very unfortunate, on the one hand on the global stage, India is emerging as a world power in the 21st century, while in our own country, there is growing religious intolerance and human rights and freedom of faith are blatantly violated. The international community and the world leaders who believe in secular democracy must oppose and condemn this gross violation of constitutional rights in India. It is much larger than ‘minority rights’, it is a question of the future of democracy in India".
(Courtesy http://www.asianews.it)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Karan Thapar's editorial about the Orissa Situation
Please find below an article by Karan Thapar which was published in the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, Aug 31, 2008
Please click on the image above so that it can be read in its entirety in a bigger font.
Please click on the image above so that it can be read in its entirety in a bigger font.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Update on Orissa 6th September 2008
The following are some excerpts from a news article at Compass Direct on the situation in Orissa.
Asserting that most area Hindus are tolerant and peaceable, victims of ongoing anti-Christian violence in the eastern state of Orissa blamed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) and other extremist groups for the terror of the past two weeks.
“The mobs that attacked our parishes and institutions were largely composed of extremists from the VHP and its youth wing, Bajrang Dal,” said Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of the Behrampore Catholic diocese.
At least four parishes, a presbytery and a youth hostel were destroyed in Munniguda town in Rayagada district under the Behrampore diocese in the spate of violence that began following the killing of a VHP leader, Laxmanananda Saraswati, and four of his associates in Kandhamal district on August 23. Christian leaders say more than 100 lives have been lost and thousands of houses, churches and institutions damaged or destroyed in the violence.
Father Mathew Puthyadam, a Catholic priest in Phulbani town in Kandhamal district, told Compass that local Hindu families gave him shelter.
As mob of around 4,000 people was carrying the body of Saraswati in a procession outside his church on the night of August 24, he said, he first sought shelter with Christians.
“When the mob was destroying my parish [Christ the King Church], I went to the house of parish workers nearby and hid in a broken bathroom,” Fr. Puthyadam said. “The mob somehow came to know that the house belonged to Christians, and they launched an attack on it. They beat up the two boys who live there, but they managed to escape. Thankfully, they did not come to the bathroom.”
About an hour after the mob left, Fr. Puthyadam came out to the street to see if it was safe for him to leave.
“A Hindu lady told me some extremists were still roaming around,” he said. “She asked me to hide in her kitchen and gave me food to eat.”
Later, Fr. Puthyadam fled to a forest, and finally came to the Archbishop’s House in the state capital, Bhubaneswar.
Some Orissa locals believe the extremists meant to create a rift between Christian missionaries and lower-caste tribal peoples known as “Other Backward Classes” (OBCs).
Prabhu Kalyan Mahapatra, a local Hindu and freelance journalist, told Compass that he did not think the violence was the result of what media are portraying as a Hindu-Christian “clash.”
In Kandhamal, there are OBCs who are lower castes but not “outcasts,” Mahapatra said, noting that the OBCs were mainly traders, while Dalits and tribal peoples were laborers and the poorest of the poor. He said the OBCs exploited Dalit and tribal people.
“However, Christian missionaries provided education to Dalits and tribals, which was not liked by the OBCs for obvious reasons,” he said, pointing out that several people from Dalit and tribal backgrounds had risen to become bureaucrats and members of parliament because of education provided by Christian institutions. “And the VHP took advantage of the situation and created a rift between OBCs and Christian missionaries.”
Mahapatra said that locals’ tolerance for Christian converts made Hindu-Christian conflict an unlikely reason for the violence. A Christian convert, Madhusudan Das, was recognized by the people of all local communities as the “father of modern Orissa,” he said.
Das, a lawyer, social reformer and patriot, worked for the political, social and economical uplift of people of eastern India, especially Orissa, and contributed numerous articles and poems both in Oriya and English.
“If the people of these communities respect a convert [Das], how can you say the Hindus of Orissa are not tolerant?” he asked.
Mahapatra explained how the VHP extended Saraswati’s funeral procession to incite violence.
“The funeral was taken from Saraswati’s ashram [religious center] in Jalespeta to his other ashram in Chakapada in Kandhamal, covering around 134 kilometers, when the distance between the two ashrams is merely 70 kilometers,” he said.
The attacks on Christians began during the funeral procession, he added.
Asserting that most area Hindus are tolerant and peaceable, victims of ongoing anti-Christian violence in the eastern state of Orissa blamed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) and other extremist groups for the terror of the past two weeks.
“The mobs that attacked our parishes and institutions were largely composed of extremists from the VHP and its youth wing, Bajrang Dal,” said Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of the Behrampore Catholic diocese.
At least four parishes, a presbytery and a youth hostel were destroyed in Munniguda town in Rayagada district under the Behrampore diocese in the spate of violence that began following the killing of a VHP leader, Laxmanananda Saraswati, and four of his associates in Kandhamal district on August 23. Christian leaders say more than 100 lives have been lost and thousands of houses, churches and institutions damaged or destroyed in the violence.
Father Mathew Puthyadam, a Catholic priest in Phulbani town in Kandhamal district, told Compass that local Hindu families gave him shelter.
As mob of around 4,000 people was carrying the body of Saraswati in a procession outside his church on the night of August 24, he said, he first sought shelter with Christians.
“When the mob was destroying my parish [Christ the King Church], I went to the house of parish workers nearby and hid in a broken bathroom,” Fr. Puthyadam said. “The mob somehow came to know that the house belonged to Christians, and they launched an attack on it. They beat up the two boys who live there, but they managed to escape. Thankfully, they did not come to the bathroom.”
About an hour after the mob left, Fr. Puthyadam came out to the street to see if it was safe for him to leave.
“A Hindu lady told me some extremists were still roaming around,” he said. “She asked me to hide in her kitchen and gave me food to eat.”
Later, Fr. Puthyadam fled to a forest, and finally came to the Archbishop’s House in the state capital, Bhubaneswar.
Some Orissa locals believe the extremists meant to create a rift between Christian missionaries and lower-caste tribal peoples known as “Other Backward Classes” (OBCs).
Prabhu Kalyan Mahapatra, a local Hindu and freelance journalist, told Compass that he did not think the violence was the result of what media are portraying as a Hindu-Christian “clash.”
In Kandhamal, there are OBCs who are lower castes but not “outcasts,” Mahapatra said, noting that the OBCs were mainly traders, while Dalits and tribal peoples were laborers and the poorest of the poor. He said the OBCs exploited Dalit and tribal people.
“However, Christian missionaries provided education to Dalits and tribals, which was not liked by the OBCs for obvious reasons,” he said, pointing out that several people from Dalit and tribal backgrounds had risen to become bureaucrats and members of parliament because of education provided by Christian institutions. “And the VHP took advantage of the situation and created a rift between OBCs and Christian missionaries.”
Mahapatra said that locals’ tolerance for Christian converts made Hindu-Christian conflict an unlikely reason for the violence. A Christian convert, Madhusudan Das, was recognized by the people of all local communities as the “father of modern Orissa,” he said.
Das, a lawyer, social reformer and patriot, worked for the political, social and economical uplift of people of eastern India, especially Orissa, and contributed numerous articles and poems both in Oriya and English.
“If the people of these communities respect a convert [Das], how can you say the Hindus of Orissa are not tolerant?” he asked.
Mahapatra explained how the VHP extended Saraswati’s funeral procession to incite violence.
“The funeral was taken from Saraswati’s ashram [religious center] in Jalespeta to his other ashram in Chakapada in Kandhamal, covering around 134 kilometers, when the distance between the two ashrams is merely 70 kilometers,” he said.
The attacks on Christians began during the funeral procession, he added.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
History and comments about Orissa religious violence
"Faith Under Fire" is a book that documents the systematic attacks on Indian Catholics in the Kandhamals district of the eastern state of Orissa that exploded over Christmas 2007, and the abysmal lack of any attempt by the Indian state to protect its citizens or try and bring them to justice.
The book was prepared by the Justice, Peace and Development Commission of the Catholic Church in Orissa and is published by Media House publishers in Delhi earlier this year.
The nearly 400 page volume is divided into five sections:
* The facts on the situation in Kandhamals, with essays and reports that try to establish what occurred
* Statements and responses from members of the Christian community in Orissa, including Archbishop Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar and Sr. Nirmala MC (of the Missionaries of Charity)
* Essays that give a background to the rise of sectarian violence, including the heinous Graham Staines murder. (In Indian English, such incidents are described as "communal" and "communalism" means "sectarian" or "promoting sectarian hatred.")
* An examination of the Wadhwa Commission Report (which investigated the Staines murder and has continued to be perceived by Indian Christians as being distorted and unfair), as well as essays that examine the controversy surrounding conversion.
* A section that documents several first hand reports of the violence, including first person accounts of riot victims.
* Two appendices that include the text of a United Nations report on the Freedom of Religion in India and the report of the National Commission of Minorities on the Kandhamals violence, as well as color photographs that document the violence, and a section with fact sheets about the region.
The following is from the foreword by Teesta Setalvad, prominent (secular and Leftist) Indian human rights activist (especially relating to violence against religious minorities and in the name of religion) and co-editor of Communalism Combat,
Any reflection on the bleak and bloody Christmas suffered by fellow Indian Christians in the eastern Indian state of Orissay in December 2007, requires the interrogation of several issues. The muted political response across the political spectrum, the absence of political outrage or any sustained campaigns and statements (two bland questions in Parliament during the first half of the budget session reflects how far removed debates in the lower house of the Indian Parliament are to the political reality of India). The message is loud and clear. India's tiny ... Christian religious minority are too minuscule to matter. With all the power and prestige that Christian institutes of learning and education enjoy, with all the quantitative and qualitative services that Christian institutes of health and nurturing provide, Indian democracy, laced as it is today with the ... racist power of hate, has been reduced to a game of numbers.
To take the interrogation further, no spontaneous suo moto judicial action followed the violent attacks on Christian villages in Kandhamal district that rendered 30,000 citizens overnight into refugees living in camps, 101 churches destroyed and properties worth lakhs ("lakh" or "lac" = 100,000) of rupees destroyed. Despite Articles 14 and 21 (of the Indian Constitution), the right to life and equality under the law are fundamental rights guaranteed under the Indian Constitution being serious under threat and attack. [sic]
Most depressing in this all pervasive climate of complicity, was the deafening silence from India's conscience, its citizenry, you and me, as humanitarian relief was actually denied by a calculating Orissa state government, and a mute and impotent Central dispensation looked on.
For a link to the current news about the goings on in Orissa refer to
http://dayofwrathdiesirae.blogspot.com/2008/09/update-on-orissa-4th-septmebr-2008.html
http://dayofwrathdiesirae.blogspot.com/2008/09/update-on-orissa-religious-riots-4th.html
http://dayofwrathdiesirae.blogspot.com/2008/08/religious-riots-in-india.html
(Post is courtesy of this blog)
Update on Orissa 4th September 2008
This is a summary of the goings on in Orissa as of today the 4th September 2008.
Christian victims of Hindu extremist violence who have fled to the capital of the eastern state of Orissa said state police have been mere spectators as mayhem continued a 12th consecutive day.
Among those who have fled to Bhubaneswar was Father Prabodha Kumar, a Catholic priest who reached the Catholic Archbishop’s House in the capital after a seven-day journey from Onjamundi village in Kandhamal. He was among other fearful sojourners at the house whose mobile phones constantly rang with news of more attacks from their relatives, friends and church members in interior villages of Kandhamal.
Fr. Kumar looked deeply troubled after one such phone call yesterday.
“My brother has been forced to ‘reconvert’ to Hinduism, as he was told that if he did not do so, his house would be destroyed,” he said.
Asked why he did not report the abuse to the police, the priest told Compass that if police officers could “witness Christians being brutally attacked,” why would they do anything to save his brother?
A few minutes later, Fr. Kumar’s phone rang once again. This time, it was about Christians in Kanpada village in Balliguda Block (Kandhamal district) being told to “reconvert” if they did not want their houses to be burned.
Shortly thereafter, another victim at the Archbishop’s House received a phone call reporting that at least 19 houses and churches were burned down that morning in Lujurmunda village, under Tikabali police station jurisdiction in Kandhamal.
State Inaction
That police did nothing to protect Christians is the assertion of most of the victims of Orissa violence.
Ravindranath Pradhan, a 45-year-old former soldier for the Indian Army, told Compass that two policemen came to him in his village, Gadragaon – also under the jurisdiction of Tikabali police station in Kandhamal – on August 24 and asked if he had heard the news about Saraswati’s killing. The officers told him to be “cautious,” but when he said police should protect him and his family, they said they didn’t have enough force to do so and left the village.
A little while later, he said, a mob of around 50 Hindu extremists stormed into the village and burned 31 houses belonging to Christians. The mob burned and killed his brother, Rasanand Pradhan, who suffers from paralysis, as he lay on his bed in a room that was set on fire.
Ravindranath Pradhan, along with more than 100 Christians – including women, children and babies from his village, walked to reach Bhubaneswar, covering more than 300 kilometers (186 miles). He walked and used various means of transport, halting in numerous forests, before he was able to reach the state capital on Tuesday (Sept. 2).
For more details about state and police inaction, please read this link on Compass Direct
Christian victims of Hindu extremist violence who have fled to the capital of the eastern state of Orissa said state police have been mere spectators as mayhem continued a 12th consecutive day.
Among those who have fled to Bhubaneswar was Father Prabodha Kumar, a Catholic priest who reached the Catholic Archbishop’s House in the capital after a seven-day journey from Onjamundi village in Kandhamal. He was among other fearful sojourners at the house whose mobile phones constantly rang with news of more attacks from their relatives, friends and church members in interior villages of Kandhamal.
Fr. Kumar looked deeply troubled after one such phone call yesterday.
“My brother has been forced to ‘reconvert’ to Hinduism, as he was told that if he did not do so, his house would be destroyed,” he said.
Asked why he did not report the abuse to the police, the priest told Compass that if police officers could “witness Christians being brutally attacked,” why would they do anything to save his brother?
A few minutes later, Fr. Kumar’s phone rang once again. This time, it was about Christians in Kanpada village in Balliguda Block (Kandhamal district) being told to “reconvert” if they did not want their houses to be burned.
Shortly thereafter, another victim at the Archbishop’s House received a phone call reporting that at least 19 houses and churches were burned down that morning in Lujurmunda village, under Tikabali police station jurisdiction in Kandhamal.
State Inaction
That police did nothing to protect Christians is the assertion of most of the victims of Orissa violence.
Ravindranath Pradhan, a 45-year-old former soldier for the Indian Army, told Compass that two policemen came to him in his village, Gadragaon – also under the jurisdiction of Tikabali police station in Kandhamal – on August 24 and asked if he had heard the news about Saraswati’s killing. The officers told him to be “cautious,” but when he said police should protect him and his family, they said they didn’t have enough force to do so and left the village.
A little while later, he said, a mob of around 50 Hindu extremists stormed into the village and burned 31 houses belonging to Christians. The mob burned and killed his brother, Rasanand Pradhan, who suffers from paralysis, as he lay on his bed in a room that was set on fire.
Ravindranath Pradhan, along with more than 100 Christians – including women, children and babies from his village, walked to reach Bhubaneswar, covering more than 300 kilometers (186 miles). He walked and used various means of transport, halting in numerous forests, before he was able to reach the state capital on Tuesday (Sept. 2).
For more details about state and police inaction, please read this link on Compass Direct
Update on Orissa Religious Riots - 4th September 2008
This is an update on the situation in Orissa.
1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th, Monday, after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in Bargarh district in Orissa during a bandh called by Hindu nationalist parties.Twenty children, who were at the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest suffered serious burn injuries in the attack.
2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another person, Rasananda Pradhan, was burnt to death when his house was set ablaze at Rupa village in Kandhamal district.
3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS: During the bandh inflammatory speeches spreading hatred against the Christian workers and the community were given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support,the activists have also carried the body of Swamiji throughout the town.
4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE: Churches were attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kandhamal districts as also in the state capital, police sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in Phulbani town.
5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal was beaten up, while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal and Jitendra were burnt. Several buses at Gee Udaigiri in Baliguda were burnt.
6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at Phulbani,and several other churches at Phiringia were attacked and ransacked. Pastor D. Tatson's house was vandalized and his property burnt.
7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in Kakriguma have been targeted by the mob that reportedly damaged the Assembly Of God Church and the Philadelphia Church.
8) WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World Vision India office ransacked and the Staff has also fled to jungle for protection.
9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR PROTECTION: A police camp at Barakhama was also attacked by the Hindu fundamentalists. With several houses being burnt down and people being made homeless, many Christians,particularly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and Suna Tonga have fled into forests for their lives.
10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.
11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a disheveled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was then set afire.
12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between 24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties.
13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.
14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.
15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers' residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.
16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP'S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the compounds of Catholic Church and Archbishop's house in the heart of the Capital of the State of Orissa. They could not enter because of the police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop's House, damaging windows.
17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.
18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked and his property damaged, vehicle looted and burnt.
19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also damaged.
20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold's School (Kalinga Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.
21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places. But nothing seems safe.
22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns' residence have been damaged.
23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister's residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.
24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.
25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.
26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada, Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.
27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri, Tikabali.
28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.
29) PASTORS' HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.
30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.
31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their families.
32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians.
The government has sent forces, it is reported. A delegation of Christian leaders under the leadership of Archbishop Vincent Concessao, the President of National United Christian Forum of CBCI, NCCI and EFI, met the Home Minister Shri Shiv Raj Patil and submitted a memorandum. The Home Minister assured the delegation all necessary steps have been taken to maintain peace and harmony and protect the innocent. He also expressed his helplessness by stating that police protection cannot be given in all villages.
[This list is compiled with assistance from Archbishop's House, Bhubaneswar, John Dayal, Light Foundation and EFI News reporters and other sources
Please pass this message to your friends
St. Joseph's College
2 Tashkent Road
Allahabad - 211 001
U.P., India
Ph: 0 94153 48688
0532 - 2600001, 2601875
1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th, Monday, after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in Bargarh district in Orissa during a bandh called by Hindu nationalist parties.Twenty children, who were at the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest suffered serious burn injuries in the attack.
2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another person, Rasananda Pradhan, was burnt to death when his house was set ablaze at Rupa village in Kandhamal district.
3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS: During the bandh inflammatory speeches spreading hatred against the Christian workers and the community were given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support,the activists have also carried the body of Swamiji throughout the town.
4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE: Churches were attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kandhamal districts as also in the state capital, police sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in Phulbani town.
5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal was beaten up, while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal and Jitendra were burnt. Several buses at Gee Udaigiri in Baliguda were burnt.
6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at Phulbani,and several other churches at Phiringia were attacked and ransacked. Pastor D. Tatson's house was vandalized and his property burnt.
7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in Kakriguma have been targeted by the mob that reportedly damaged the Assembly Of God Church and the Philadelphia Church.
8) WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World Vision India office ransacked and the Staff has also fled to jungle for protection.
9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR PROTECTION: A police camp at Barakhama was also attacked by the Hindu fundamentalists. With several houses being burnt down and people being made homeless, many Christians,particularly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and Suna Tonga have fled into forests for their lives.
10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.
11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a disheveled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was then set afire.
12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between 24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties.
13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.
14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.
15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers' residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.
16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP'S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the compounds of Catholic Church and Archbishop's house in the heart of the Capital of the State of Orissa. They could not enter because of the police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop's House, damaging windows.
17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.
18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked and his property damaged, vehicle looted and burnt.
19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also damaged.
20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold's School (Kalinga Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.
21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places. But nothing seems safe.
22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns' residence have been damaged.
23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister's residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.
24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.
25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.
26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada, Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.
27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri, Tikabali.
28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.
29) PASTORS' HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.
30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.
31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their families.
32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians.
The government has sent forces, it is reported. A delegation of Christian leaders under the leadership of Archbishop Vincent Concessao, the President of National United Christian Forum of CBCI, NCCI and EFI, met the Home Minister Shri Shiv Raj Patil and submitted a memorandum. The Home Minister assured the delegation all necessary steps have been taken to maintain peace and harmony and protect the innocent. He also expressed his helplessness by stating that police protection cannot be given in all villages.
[This list is compiled with assistance from Archbishop's House, Bhubaneswar, John Dayal, Light Foundation and EFI News reporters and other sources
Please pass this message to your friends
St. Joseph's College
2 Tashkent Road
Allahabad - 211 001
U.P., India
Ph: 0 94153 48688
0532 - 2600001, 2601875
Friday, August 29, 2008
Update on Religious Riots in Orrisa
I received the following update on the religious riots in Orrisa in my inbox.
This past Saturday (August 23rd) a very prominent Hindu Guru (i.e. spiritual leader) was found murdered in the city of Bhubaneshwar, Orissa (which is about 275 miles away from the city of Calcutta--which is where I'm staying right now). This spiritual leader was a very outspoken critic of conversions--which was happening for quite a while now in the state of Orissa. The Catholic Church has been growing steadily for quite a while now in Orissa, mainly due to the really awesome work of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity and many other groups working in the region. Catholics have started schools, hospitals, clinics, leper colonies, etc. that all serve the poorest of the poor--the low-caste untouchables who are treated as "outcasts" in Hindu circles. Many low-caste untouchables living in the state of Orissa have witnessed the love of Christ, and have subsequently given their lives over to Christ, by joining the Catholic Church.
Although no one knows who killed this spiritual leader or what was the motive behind the murder, Hindu extremists have declared that Christians (especially Catholics) must have been behind the act because this particular spiritual leader was an outspoken critic of Hindus converting to Christianity. However, there is absolutely no evidence for this, and the government of India is saying that Maoists (i.e. Communists) are behind the murder. But nevertheless, the rumors that Christians have been behind the murder is spreading like wildfire, and in the past three days, mobs of militant Hindus have been burning/bombing churches, beating/killing priests, nuns, and members of the lay faithful. The Catholic Church which has the largest presence among the Christian denominations in the region has sadly taken the brunt of this violence. As we speak, the violence is escalating. Yet, news reports are not really reporting the whole story--because news sources are often heavily biased (often favoring the Hindu viewpoint). Sadly, no one knows what the real situation is regarding Christians in Orissa right now.
However, I have learned of some information regarding the situation through the Missionaries of Charity sisters here in Calcutta. Some of the of the Missionary of Charity sisters (hereafter abbreviated as MC sisters) who are in Orissa have sent word to Sister Nirmala Joshi (the successor of Mother Teresa in the Missionaries of Charity) regarding the current sitation. MC sisters in the region have witnessed truckloads of militant Hindus swarming into Christian villages, and slitting throats of innocent Catholic Christians (of all ages) as they run for their life. Many MC sisters, brothers, and consecrated religious have abandoned their convents and fled to the jungles to go into hiding. Hindus have swarmed into Catholic (and other Christian) schools and burned teachers, principals, etc. to death. This breaks my heart. Please pray for an end to this madness. All because of ridiculous rumors that Christians killed this spiritual guru (and there's no evidence for that at all!).
In an interesting twist however, one leper colony run by the Missionaries of Charity was spared destruction. The MC sisters were afraid for their lives, and for the lives of all of the lepers who were staying in the colony. Yet, the lepers told the sisters that they would lay down their lives for these MC sisters, because the MC sisters have given the lepers hope and love. When truckloads of militant Hindus (mainly members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad--a fundamentalist worldwide Hindu association) came to roundup and kill all of the MC sisters, the lepers told the Hindu militants to see the good work that the sisters were doing. When the militants saw all of the good work the Missionaries of Charity were doing, they actually turned and left--sparing the lives of the sisters. So God saved the lives of this group of sisters!!! And the poor people actually came to the help of the sisters!
The bishops of India have pleaded with the Catholic faithful to NOT retaliate and to be strong, and courageous in the face of great persecution. As of yet, the Christians have NOT retaliated (thanks be to God). The bishops have declared a statement saying that the Church condemns the murder of this famous Hindu spiritual leader. Yet, this statement has not calmed tensions. The bishops all over India are asking Christians everywhere to pray ardently to God, Our Father, for an end to the violence. Hundreds of parishes all over India have begun 24 hour nonstop Eucharistic Adoration to ask the Lord for healing for ALL groups hurt by this. Many parishes in Calcutta have begun nonstop Eucharistic Adoration for peace in India, and for end to this communal conflict.
Please pray that the violence ends, and does not spread to the rest of India. Please pray for our Protestant brothers and sisters as well (they are also suffering greatly in this anti-Christian uprising... Protestant Churches are also being targeted and burned, but I unfortunately do not know about the exact situation of Protestants right now, because the only news I'm getting is from the MCs who only really know about what's happening to Catholic parishes). Christians in general are a small minority in India, and because we're small, and we're "different," such persecution does happen. And last of all, please pray for the Hindus who are obviously hurt and angered over the death of their prominent spiritual leader, and who are good people deep down inside, but are just blinded by emotions right now. We are all children of God, and it breaks God's heart to see us fighting like this.
In addition to this email I received a second email that elaborated on the damage:
Number of Deaths district wise
Kandhamal District -12
Barakhama 6
Tiangia 2 (2 seriously injured)
Petapanga 1 (Raikia)
Tikaballi 1
Bodimunda 1
Bakingia 1
Bargard District- 1
Padanpur 1(Kantapali)
Number of Church destroyed
Petapanga Church
Mondakia Church
Catholic Church Rotangia
Believers church Ratingia
Diocese Church Ratingia
Believers Church Gimangia
Diocese Church Gimangia
Mdahukia Church
Catholic Church Raikia
Catholic Church Badimunda
Pentocastal Church Badimunda
Catholic Church Breka
Pentocastal Church Breka
Catholic Church Pobingia
Catholic church Srasanaanda
Catholic Church, Phulbani
Catholic Church, Betticola
Catholic Church Balliguda
Catholic Church Sankrakhol
R.C. Church Kanjamedi
Diocese Church Kanjamedi
Pentecostal Church Kanjamedi
Pentecostal Church Jugapadar, Nuagam
Baptist Church Tumudiband
Pentecostal Church Tumudiband
Two Churches in Narayani patna
Catholic Church Muniguda
Catholic Church Padanpur
Church in Dhanpur
Catholic Church Tiangia
Baptist Church Tiangia
Catholic Church Gabindapali
Catholic Church Padua
Catholic Church Maliput
Catholic Church Duburi
Pentecostal Church, Tiangia
Catholic Church Modhupur
Catholic Church Nilungia
Pentecostal Church Nilungia
Catholic Church Boipariguda
Houses damaged
1. Balliguda Mundasahi
2. Raikia-17 houses
3. Badimunda- 9
4. Gimangia-3
5. Gumagarh-25
6. Tiangia-Pdisuballi, Majumaha, Budedipada, Kolanaju, Mundanaju, Sipaeju, Laburi 160
7. Beticola-10
8. Nilungia – 15
9. Balliguda Dumudisahi
10. Balliguda Hatpada Sahi
11. Raikia, Chunipalli
12. Mondakia, Bakingkia
13. Breaka (Sukanda)
14. Bodimunda
15. Rotingia
16. Sankharkhole
17. Tikaballi
Convents
St. Joseph’s Convent, Sankharkhole
St. Anne’s Convent, Pobinga
Mt. Carmel Convent, Balliguda
St. Anne’s Convent, Padangi
Hostels
Padangi 2
Pobigia -2
Balliguda Convent -1
Institutions
Pastoral Centre, Konjamendi
Janavikas
Poly Shree, Paburia
Gramya Pragati, Balliguda
Ajka, Raikia
Xavier Institution of Mangament
NISWASS, Bhubaneswar & Phulbani
Lastly the as a mark of protest all Catholic schools and institutions across the country will be closed on Friday the 29th August 2008. In addition to this the Bombay Catholic Sabah is organizing a protest rally and meeting at the St. Micheal Auditorium in Mahim on the 29th August 2008 at 6:30 pm
This past Saturday (August 23rd) a very prominent Hindu Guru (i.e. spiritual leader) was found murdered in the city of Bhubaneshwar, Orissa (which is about 275 miles away from the city of Calcutta--which is where I'm staying right now). This spiritual leader was a very outspoken critic of conversions--which was happening for quite a while now in the state of Orissa. The Catholic Church has been growing steadily for quite a while now in Orissa, mainly due to the really awesome work of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity and many other groups working in the region. Catholics have started schools, hospitals, clinics, leper colonies, etc. that all serve the poorest of the poor--the low-caste untouchables who are treated as "outcasts" in Hindu circles. Many low-caste untouchables living in the state of Orissa have witnessed the love of Christ, and have subsequently given their lives over to Christ, by joining the Catholic Church.
Although no one knows who killed this spiritual leader or what was the motive behind the murder, Hindu extremists have declared that Christians (especially Catholics) must have been behind the act because this particular spiritual leader was an outspoken critic of Hindus converting to Christianity. However, there is absolutely no evidence for this, and the government of India is saying that Maoists (i.e. Communists) are behind the murder. But nevertheless, the rumors that Christians have been behind the murder is spreading like wildfire, and in the past three days, mobs of militant Hindus have been burning/bombing churches, beating/killing priests, nuns, and members of the lay faithful. The Catholic Church which has the largest presence among the Christian denominations in the region has sadly taken the brunt of this violence. As we speak, the violence is escalating. Yet, news reports are not really reporting the whole story--because news sources are often heavily biased (often favoring the Hindu viewpoint). Sadly, no one knows what the real situation is regarding Christians in Orissa right now.
However, I have learned of some information regarding the situation through the Missionaries of Charity sisters here in Calcutta. Some of the of the Missionary of Charity sisters (hereafter abbreviated as MC sisters) who are in Orissa have sent word to Sister Nirmala Joshi (the successor of Mother Teresa in the Missionaries of Charity) regarding the current sitation. MC sisters in the region have witnessed truckloads of militant Hindus swarming into Christian villages, and slitting throats of innocent Catholic Christians (of all ages) as they run for their life. Many MC sisters, brothers, and consecrated religious have abandoned their convents and fled to the jungles to go into hiding. Hindus have swarmed into Catholic (and other Christian) schools and burned teachers, principals, etc. to death. This breaks my heart. Please pray for an end to this madness. All because of ridiculous rumors that Christians killed this spiritual guru (and there's no evidence for that at all!).
In an interesting twist however, one leper colony run by the Missionaries of Charity was spared destruction. The MC sisters were afraid for their lives, and for the lives of all of the lepers who were staying in the colony. Yet, the lepers told the sisters that they would lay down their lives for these MC sisters, because the MC sisters have given the lepers hope and love. When truckloads of militant Hindus (mainly members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad--a fundamentalist worldwide Hindu association) came to roundup and kill all of the MC sisters, the lepers told the Hindu militants to see the good work that the sisters were doing. When the militants saw all of the good work the Missionaries of Charity were doing, they actually turned and left--sparing the lives of the sisters. So God saved the lives of this group of sisters!!! And the poor people actually came to the help of the sisters!
The bishops of India have pleaded with the Catholic faithful to NOT retaliate and to be strong, and courageous in the face of great persecution. As of yet, the Christians have NOT retaliated (thanks be to God). The bishops have declared a statement saying that the Church condemns the murder of this famous Hindu spiritual leader. Yet, this statement has not calmed tensions. The bishops all over India are asking Christians everywhere to pray ardently to God, Our Father, for an end to the violence. Hundreds of parishes all over India have begun 24 hour nonstop Eucharistic Adoration to ask the Lord for healing for ALL groups hurt by this. Many parishes in Calcutta have begun nonstop Eucharistic Adoration for peace in India, and for end to this communal conflict.
Please pray that the violence ends, and does not spread to the rest of India. Please pray for our Protestant brothers and sisters as well (they are also suffering greatly in this anti-Christian uprising... Protestant Churches are also being targeted and burned, but I unfortunately do not know about the exact situation of Protestants right now, because the only news I'm getting is from the MCs who only really know about what's happening to Catholic parishes). Christians in general are a small minority in India, and because we're small, and we're "different," such persecution does happen. And last of all, please pray for the Hindus who are obviously hurt and angered over the death of their prominent spiritual leader, and who are good people deep down inside, but are just blinded by emotions right now. We are all children of God, and it breaks God's heart to see us fighting like this.
In addition to this email I received a second email that elaborated on the damage:
Number of Deaths district wise
Kandhamal District -12
Barakhama 6
Tiangia 2 (2 seriously injured)
Petapanga 1 (Raikia)
Tikaballi 1
Bodimunda 1
Bakingia 1
Bargard District- 1
Padanpur 1(Kantapali)
Number of Church destroyed
Petapanga Church
Mondakia Church
Catholic Church Rotangia
Believers church Ratingia
Diocese Church Ratingia
Believers Church Gimangia
Diocese Church Gimangia
Mdahukia Church
Catholic Church Raikia
Catholic Church Badimunda
Pentocastal Church Badimunda
Catholic Church Breka
Pentocastal Church Breka
Catholic Church Pobingia
Catholic church Srasanaanda
Catholic Church, Phulbani
Catholic Church, Betticola
Catholic Church Balliguda
Catholic Church Sankrakhol
R.C. Church Kanjamedi
Diocese Church Kanjamedi
Pentecostal Church Kanjamedi
Pentecostal Church Jugapadar, Nuagam
Baptist Church Tumudiband
Pentecostal Church Tumudiband
Two Churches in Narayani patna
Catholic Church Muniguda
Catholic Church Padanpur
Church in Dhanpur
Catholic Church Tiangia
Baptist Church Tiangia
Catholic Church Gabindapali
Catholic Church Padua
Catholic Church Maliput
Catholic Church Duburi
Pentecostal Church, Tiangia
Catholic Church Modhupur
Catholic Church Nilungia
Pentecostal Church Nilungia
Catholic Church Boipariguda
Houses damaged
1. Balliguda Mundasahi
2. Raikia-17 houses
3. Badimunda- 9
4. Gimangia-3
5. Gumagarh-25
6. Tiangia-Pdisuballi, Majumaha, Budedipada, Kolanaju, Mundanaju, Sipaeju, Laburi 160
7. Beticola-10
8. Nilungia – 15
9. Balliguda Dumudisahi
10. Balliguda Hatpada Sahi
11. Raikia, Chunipalli
12. Mondakia, Bakingkia
13. Breaka (Sukanda)
14. Bodimunda
15. Rotingia
16. Sankharkhole
17. Tikaballi
Convents
St. Joseph’s Convent, Sankharkhole
St. Anne’s Convent, Pobinga
Mt. Carmel Convent, Balliguda
St. Anne’s Convent, Padangi
Hostels
Padangi 2
Pobigia -2
Balliguda Convent -1
Institutions
Pastoral Centre, Konjamendi
Janavikas
Poly Shree, Paburia
Gramya Pragati, Balliguda
Ajka, Raikia
Xavier Institution of Mangament
NISWASS, Bhubaneswar & Phulbani
Lastly the as a mark of protest all Catholic schools and institutions across the country will be closed on Friday the 29th August 2008. In addition to this the Bombay Catholic Sabah is organizing a protest rally and meeting at the St. Micheal Auditorium in Mahim on the 29th August 2008 at 6:30 pm
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Religious Riots in India
Indian being my first home, I get upset when I read news like this.
The killing of a Hindu leader on Saturday sparked the violence.
Christians have suffered retaliatory attacks, despite police saying Maoist rebels were to blame for the killing.
So far monasteries, churches and an orphanage has been burnt. Persecution against Christians in India has been an ongoing theme despite the fact that Christians only make up less than 2% of the population.
A bandh was called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal in protest against the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda.
Protesters burnt alive a 20-year-old woman in an orphanage at Khuntpalli village in Bargarh district. In Kandhamal district, where the Swami and four others were killed by suspected Maoists on Saturday night, a villager was burnt to death.
This is a terrible state of affairs. I ask that all my readers pray for persecuted Christians in my native land.
(Picture of burnt orphanage)
The killing of a Hindu leader on Saturday sparked the violence.
Christians have suffered retaliatory attacks, despite police saying Maoist rebels were to blame for the killing.
So far monasteries, churches and an orphanage has been burnt. Persecution against Christians in India has been an ongoing theme despite the fact that Christians only make up less than 2% of the population.
A bandh was called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal in protest against the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda.
Protesters burnt alive a 20-year-old woman in an orphanage at Khuntpalli village in Bargarh district. In Kandhamal district, where the Swami and four others were killed by suspected Maoists on Saturday night, a villager was burnt to death.
This is a terrible state of affairs. I ask that all my readers pray for persecuted Christians in my native land.
(Picture of burnt orphanage)
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