A burned-out comunity: Christians in Orissa were still rebuilding after the Christmas attacks
(Photo: © CNI)
Deadly attacks on Indian Christians follow the murder of a right wing Hindu leader though police say Maoists to blame
Murder followed murder in India this week as fundamentalist Hindu groups took false revenge on Indian Christians.
Orissa state in north east India was once again the flashpoint for interreligious violence with eight Christians burned alive as well as an allegation of rape and houses and churches being burned down.
The violence followed the murder of a key Hindu leader, Lakhanananda Saraswati, and four of his disciples on 23 August 2008 in Kandhamal district.
This was the same leader who had fuelled anti-Christian violence in the area at Christmas, says Kasta Dip, youth coordinator of the Church of North India, who is from the region.
In violence which began on Christmas Eve, five people were killed and 600 homes and 90 churches were destroyed,
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The murder of Lakhanananda is seen by his supporters as a revenge attack by Christians, although police have blamed Maoist rebels.
“Although it is clear that Christians were not at all involved in his killing, his supporters have gone madly wild,” Kasta Dip told CMS on Wednesday.
“We have been hearing news of killings everyday.
“There have been already over 60 instances of violence, including the burning alive of at least eight persons and over 600 homes in different parts of Orissa, mostly in Kandhamal district.”
Despite the imposition of a curfew, trouble continued and police were given a “shoot at sight” order to quell the violence.
This has had the effect of reducing the violence, Kasta Dip told CMS on Friday (29 August), though on Thursday evening more churches had been attacked and people were still fleeing into the forest.
The Evangelical Fellowship of India has compiled a list of the attacks on Christians, including a reported gang rape of a young nun, churches burned or ransacked and houses burned in Kalahandi district - even though it is 300km from where Swami Saraswati was murdered.
Staff of the World Vision India office in the region were also forced to flee for safety.
As of Thursday, the list ran to 32 separate incidents.
The Pope this week condemned the killings, including the murder of Swami Saraswati and his disciples, as did the Church of North India, which appealed to its members to pray for peace and harmony.
Kasta Dip told CMS, “Our people are enduring unimaginable persecution and fear as everyday the death toll is rising.
“Kindly uphold the Christians in Orissa, especially Bishop Bijay Kumar Nayak, Diocese of Phulbani, as Kandhamal is in his Episcopal jurisdiction and he is the target of the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad - the party of which Swami Sarawati was a leader).”