In a statement Wednesday, August 27, Benedict XVI said he was profoundly saddened by the killings and the destruction of Christian homes, churches and orphanages at the hands of Hindu mobs in the troubled state in the past three says. Christian sources said as many as 18 people may have died, but that figure could not be confirmed independently.
On Wednesday, August 27, authorities issued shoot-at-sight orders and police staged marches in Orissa’s Kandhamal District, the region worst-hit by violence between Hindus and Christians. Kandhamal is a primarily tribal area, where Christian missionaries have worked for decades. Almost 20 percent of the district’s people are Christians, according to estimates.
The clashes erupted after the killing of a Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, and four others on Saturday, August 23, by unidentified armed men. The Hindu leader had allegedly been leading a drive to reconvert local residents from Christianity to Hinduism.
LEFTIST REBELS
Although Maoist rebels have been linked to the killings, supporters of the extremist Hindu group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) blamed Christians, attacking and damaging churches, Christian homes and an orphanage. Some of the victims were burned to death, when rioters set fire to their homes, witnesses and officials said.
Among the victims was a 20-year-old woman who attempted to stop Hindu militants from attacking children in an orphanage. She was thrown alive into a burning building, while a priest was hospitalized with serious burn injuries resulting from this attack, US-based rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) and other sources said.
Police said rival groups from both communities have attacked each other with axes, sticks and guns, despite a curfew. New clashes occurred Wednesday, August 27, officials said. In a statement, Orissa’s Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the federal government asked state authorities to protect all communities.
STERN ACTIONS
"We asked them to take stern action to protect the properties, the churches, the life and limbs of people and properties and houses of other people also," said Patil. It came after Christian organizations asked the government to end the violence.
“We mourn and lament this tragic assault on reason and justice in India,” said Joseph D’souza, who leads the All India Christian Council, a major advocacy group. “The killing of Saraswati and his associates is deplorable to the Christian community, but the response of the VHP to attack innocent Christians is sickening. The government must act now to protect those who are most vulnerable.”
He said there were not enough security forces in Orissa to deal with the tensions. "We appeal to the prime minister of India to lead a delegation to meet the victims as a matter of urgency. We appeal to the international community to raise their voices to bring peace in an area where more people will die unless something is done urgently."
HARD-LINE GROUPS
Hard-line Hindu groups accuse Christian missionaries of trying to convert illiterate tribal or Hindu villagers by alluring them with promises of free education and medical care, a charge denied by the missionaries. Gospel for Asia (GFA), a major mission group in the region, has made clear its workers want to spread the Gospel without forcing anyone to believe in Jesus Christ.
GFA said that at least six Christians who attended churches related to its organization have been killed. One GFA Bible college was reportedly under police protection Wednesday, July 27, while a children’s center of the organization was apparently closed after a threatened to attack the complex. "They threatened to kidnap one of the workers, so the staff and 120 children left the area. It is not known what has happened to the center property," the group said in a statement.
This is not the first time that tensions have run high between Hindus and Christians in Orissa. In December several people died in anti-Christian clashes and in 1999, a Hindu mob killed an Australian missionary and his two sons by setting fire to their car. (This is a developing breaking news story; stay with BosNewsLife for continues coverage).
