Hunger, fear grip state after burning of 90 churches, hundreds of houses.
NEW DELHI, January 2 Orissa state’s Kandhamal district remains tense 10 days after a series of anti-Christian attacks began, and thousands of Christians whose houses have been burned down are facing hunger and fear.
“Local Christians who had fled to the nearby mountains fearing for their lives have begun to return, due to a high presence of police and security personnel,” said pastor Victor John, who came to Udaigiri village in the Mallikapur area of Kandhamal as a guest speaker in a Baptist church on December 24, the day the attacks led by the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) began.
John told Compass that the atmosphere was still tense despite the deployment of troops.
“I am planning to leave for my home in Chhattisgarh state tomorrow morning, but it is very risky,” he said with evident nervousness in his voice. “I need prayers.”
A police official told Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) today that although there was no report of fresh violence since Tuesday morning, “the situation continues to remain critical.”
IANS also reported that at least three houses were burned down in three separate attacks on Monday (December 31) in the villages of Rabingia, Barpada and Daringbadi.
According to a memorandum submitted to the National Human Rights Commission on Monday, Christian leaders said that around nine people had been killed, close to 90 churches burned, about 600 houses torched or vandalized, and 5,000 people affected.
The memorandum was signed by Delhi Catholic Archbishop the Most Rt. Rev. Vincent Concessao, AICC President the Rev. Dr. Joseph D’Souza, spokesperson of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese the Rev. Dr. Dominic Emmanuel, and Joint Secretary of Christian Legal Association Lansinglu Rongmei, among others.
Dr. John Dayal, general secretary of the All India Christian Council (AICC), told Compass that there was no official account of how many people had died in police gunfire, mob violence or other injuries sustained during the anti-Christian violence that began on Christmas Eve.
“Many people, including young women, are still reported missing,” said Dayal, who was visiting Kandhamal district on a fact-finding mission. “We have no account, and neither do we know if the police have tried to search for them. Christians have been arrested, we learn, but there is no official word on it. Troublemakers seem to have a free hand in the entire district despite night curfew.”
Dayal complained that no church group had been allowed to visit the affected areas, so the AICC has not been able to provide even psychological support to traumatized victims.
Police asked Dayal’s team to leave Kandhamal on Sunday (December 30), but after going to the state capital of Bhubaneswar, he returned later to affected villages.
“We understand from our priests and others who are able to communicate with us that there has been bias in distribution of relief, and that many families are still not getting any assistance,” he added.
Government officials are not giving relief to women, Dayal pointed out, explaining that the women were asked to comeback with their husbands or sons. “We fear it may be a ruse to arrest the men folk,” he said.
Violent Response to Conversions
Tensions in Kandhamal began on December 24 as the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Brahmani village was pitching a tent for Christmas celebrations. A mob led by the VHP launched a fierce attack on Christians and their shops to protest the planned celebrations.
Local Christians say VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, a prominent opponent of Christians for more than a decade, was behind the attack.
“It was Saraswati who instigated the mob to attack us,” said a Christian from Brahmani on condition of anonymity. “Later, Christians learned that Saraswati was coming to launch more attacks. Sections of Christians tried to stop him on the way, which resulted in a clash between the two groups, following which the VHP claimed that their leader was hurt and announced that now Christians would be attacked as revenge.”
Saraswati told media on December 25 that the reason for the violence was conversions by area Christians.
It is estimated that Christians make up 16 percent of the total population of Kandhamal district.
Pleas for Protection
Christians from various denominations across the country have held several rallies to show solidarity with the victims, and they have met with political leaders, including the prime minister, imploring them to ensure the safety of believers in Orissa.
Written requests have been submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Pratibha Patil, Federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Orissa State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Gov. Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare.
A group of Christian authors demanded a ban on the VHP for its reported role in the ongoing communal violence in Orissa.
The Writers’ Forum, which is meeting for its second annual meeting in Panjim in Goa state, called for the ban in a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil on Monday (December 31).
The forum accused the federal and Orissa state governments of inaction and apathy due to their inability to stop “premeditated” violence, saying the ongoing abuse had done “international damage to India’s reputation.”
Police, however, said the peculiar terrain of the area hindered their movements and efforts to reach the hot spots in time.
“Kandhamal, which has an area of 8,021 square kilometers, has only 15 police stations with a sanctioned strength of 647 personnel, who cater to a population of 648,201,” authorities said in the Hindustan Times today.
No comments:
Post a Comment