Urgent Need: Violence in India
Friday, 12 September 2008
(Taken from AsiaNews)
Burning, looting, manhunts and violence against women and Christians continue in the state of Orissa as the curfew imposed by the government is expanded from the district of Kadhamal to other cities. Police are ordered to shoot on sight.
Only now the death of a Catholic man in the village of Tiangia has come to light. After he was killed he was cut to pieces. Two other people close to him were so seriously beaten up and hurt that they died two days later.
The murder took place last Sunday evening at the end of the funerals of radical Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati whose assassination was blamed on Christians.
Christian homes in Tiangia were torched and families forced to flee into the forests. They were however pursued and attacked by extremists.
Rumors that extremists from other states are coming to Orissa to help local radicals have also been confirmed. Hindu supremacists from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra have converging in the district of Kandhamal.
Some Protestant Christians have said the government of the state of Chhattisgarh is helping paramilitary groups to reach Orissa to attack Christians.
Attacks continue in spite of the curfew and the presence of anti-riot units. Police recently killed four radical Hindus as hundreds of others attacked the village of Barakhama. Law enforcement agents can shoot on sight those who violate the curfew.
Fresh attacks and burnings were reported in Baliguda, Udaygiri and Raikia. Elsewhere male and female missionaries of Charity have had stones thrown at them; one of their orphanages and one of their hospitals have been damaged. The same has happened to the vehicles they use to transport the sick and ill.
From Field Director
The Hindus have always been opposed to conversion and have always been at odds with the Christians. But after a Hindu priest was killed they blamed the Christians and began attacking with canes and poles. The radical Hindus have attacked our churches and have destroyed nine of them. Also destroyed are the homes of 23 of our pastors and church members.
Our people have fled into the jungles and are in hiding at this time. We are unable to confirm how many were killed at this time but we do know that some were tortured. Our Christian brother who has been working in this area of India is assisting as best he can with the situation.
Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in India and that this situation will be resolved.
Harold McLeod Field Director Asia Pacific
Oressia India Relief Project Number 7311136110
