Orissa state
(© Google Earth)
Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs joined a solidarity rally in support of Orissa’s persecuted Christians this week
More than 800 Christians, with Hindu, Muslim and Sikh representatives, held a solidarity rally in the capital of Orissa on Wednesday, in support of the Christian community facing ongoing violence in the state.
Tens of thousands of Christians are still in hiding in the forests, too afraid to come back to villages under violent threat of forced conversion to Hinduism.
Related stories
Church leaders plan action
Live as a Hindu, die as a Christian
Gruesome violence hits Orissa
Related links
All India Christian Council updates
Catholic AsiaNews dossier
Background feature from AICC
Muslim, Hindu and Sikh leaders addressed the rally in Bhubaneswar, which was chaired by the visiting Bishop of Amritsar, PK Samantaroy, who is originally from Orissa.
“It was probably the first time that leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and more than 50 Protestant denominations came together to express their unified voice,” he said afterwards.
The 32-strong delegation from Amritsar included eight Sikh and five Hindu leaders.
Others had come from Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, Chattishgarh and other parts of India as well as Orissa state.
A delegation of church leaders had a 90-minute meeting with the chief minister of Orissa, Navin Patnaik.
They submitted a charter of demands, including the banning of Hindu groups like the Bajrang Dal as terrorist organisations, the prosecution of the perpetrators of the violence, compensation for victims and to deploy paramilitaries to enforce law and order in the state.
The setting up of a minority commission to boost the confidence of minorities in the state and “strict action be taken against erring police and administrative officials for failing to carry out their duties and responsibilities” were among the other demands.
The threat of forced conversion was uppermost in the mind of Bishop Samantaroy, who put the number of Christians hiding in the forests at “more than 30,000…they are given only one choice, "Embrace Hinduism and return to the village or face the consequences."
“There are daily incidents of Christians forcefully captured and put through a ceremony of re-conversion,” he said.
He also said that churches and church-related NGOs were currently being prevented from bringing relief to the area. Freedom of movement for NGOs and churches also featured on the list of demands submitted to the chief minister.
CMS is able to receive donations which will be sent to provide relief and support to the most affected and vulnerable communities in Orissa as soon as it can be delivered.