In the latest incidents, at least two villagers were reportedly hacked to death by unidentified persons Friday, October 3, in the tense Kandhamal district of Orissa state.
India media said tribal peoples in Sindhipankha village killed Dushashan Majhi, a local influential Christian, first shooting him and them cutting him to pieces. The mob then turned on Sanyasi Majhi, also said to be Christian, who was with Dushashan Majhi. There were unconfirmed reports that a third victim was killed along with the other two.
The killings took place at Sindhupanka village while bodies were recovered apparently from previous violence early on Friday, October 3, Indian media reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, October 1, Lalji Nayak, believed to be about 80 years old, died from axe wounds after a Hindu extremist mob attacked his village of Hrudangia the previous day, news reports said. He was among over a dozen injured people following violence in which at least two women were killed, police and other sources said.
NUN RAPED
In addition Christian women have been raped by suspected Hindu militants, police said. In a statement monitored by BosNewsLife, police said they detained four people for the alleged rape on August 25 of a nun during Hindu-Christian clashes in Orissa.
"Four people have been arrested in connection with this shameful act," Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters. Separately, Kandhamal superintendent of police Praveen Kumar told the Press Trust of India news agency that the "woman was medically examined and the report received by us suggests the possibility of rape."
The arrests followed reports of fresh clashes and arson late Thursday in Boudh district adjoining Kandhamal, news reports said. "We have sent fresh security reinforcements to Kandhamal and Boudh districts," the French News Agency AFP quoted Orissa police chief Manmohan Praharaj as saying.
The clashes began August 23 following the killing of Swami Laxamananda Saraswati and four of his followers. Hindus blamed Christians, but on Saturday, October 4, Maoist rebels confirmed reports that they were responsible.
DEATH PENALTY
"We ordered the death penalty for him," Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda said in a statement. Panda said his group left letters at the killing in August claiming responsibility but that local authorities hid the evidence. "They suppressed the evidence so that they could get an excuse to attack Christians," Panda told Indian media.
Hindu groups have attacked churches, prayer halls and homes of Christians in the state, forcing tens of thousands of people to seek shelter in state-run refugee homes. Hard line Hindu groups have accused Christian missionaries of bribing poor tribes people and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity by offering free education and health care.
Churches have strongly denied those charges, saying "forcing" people "to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is against the Bible."
The attacks have been condemned by the Vatican and described as "a national shame" by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Christians comprise some 2.3 percent of India’s billion-plus Hindu majority population, according to official estimates. Christianity has been seen spreading in especially rural areas of the country, adding to opposition of Hindu groups, rights watchers say.
