Orissa attacks 'worst' in recent history - aicc
Posted: Sunday, October 5, 2008, 9:30 (BST)
Despite the deployment of thousands of central and state law enforcement troops, the violence in Orissa continues to inflict daily casualties and massive damage to Christian properties.
Rev Madhu Chandra, All India Christian Council (aicc) Regional Secretary, called the Orissa attacks the "worst violation of the freedom of religion in any democracy in recent history".
He continued: "What most people don't realise is the goal of the attackers is to inspire fear. The attackers believe India is only for Hindus and their stated purpose is to convert people to Hinduism or force them to leave.
"To accomplish this, they only need to kill one or two people in each village or church. This is clearly terrorism and ethnic cleansing, but few Indian leaders are admitting it."
Most of the victims are Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, from a tribe called Pano.
Dr Joseph D'souza, aicc president, said, "The events of the last month, not only the attacks but the negligence of government, would be sad if it happened in a dictatorship or a totalitarian regime. The fact that it's happening in the world's largest democracy makes it infinitely sadder."
The aicc said that some police, mostly in rural areas, were "neglecting their duties". For example, a Roman Catholic nun was raped amidst mob violence on August 25, 2008, in Kanjemandi village between Raikia and Balliguda, Kandhamal District, Orissa.
A medical examination of the nun conducted that night at the Balliguda Hospital confirmed rape. Both the victim and a priest, who tried to defend her and was severely beaten, tried to file cases in the Nuagaon police station. Their "First Information Reports" (FIRs) were rejected. Eventually, the same FIR was accepted at the Balliguda police station. But, in spite of numerous eye witnesses, police did not investigate until 38 days after the attack and made four arrests last week.
India's Supreme Court said in August that any police officer who turns away a person without registering his or her complaint could face contempt of court charges and imprisonment. Justice BN Agrawal and Justice GS Singhvi instructed victims to appeal to their local chief judicial magistrate or the chief metropolitan magistrate. Ironically, the decision was scheduled for review on August 25, the same day as the attack on the nun.
"We demand that the officials in Orissa follow the law. We know multiple cases where Christians have tried to file cases with police after being attacked and the police turned them away. Police say they are overwhelmed and don't have time to file cases or investigate since they must focus on maintaining order. But surely they realize that, unless crimes are promptly punished, the perpetrators are indirectly encouraged to continue their crimes. Justice is being denied to hundreds of victims," said Chandra.
There has been news of a second rape case. A young nun of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Roman Catholic diocese working at Jan Vikas Kendra, a social service centre near Nuagaon, was reportedly gang raped by mobs on Aug. 24, 2008.
Similar violence lasted about a week over Christmas 2007. The aicc criticised the term "Christian-Hindu clashes" used by media reporting on the attacks, insisting that Christians "are the overwhelming victims and are not instigating attacks" and that there were only "scattered" reports of Christians firing guns in self-defense.
The current violence is entering its seventh week since it began on August 23, 2008 after the killing of a controversial swami by unknown assailants. Extremist groups blamed Christians for the murder.
The violence spread to at least ten other states and has affected hundreds of churches and thousands of Indian Christians. Within Orissa, the violence spread to almost half of the districts, and then was contained to Kandhamal District. But now attacks are spreading again with incidents reported in Gajapati and Boudh districts in the last few days.
Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Friday, October 17, 2008, 10:41 (BST)
Dear Mr. Sameer,
Thank you for your explanation. Please be aware that there never were enforcement by "evangelical" Christians to convert to Christianity [I know what motivates them and how they work]. The conversion comes voluntarily and the message we preach is of "LOVE", the love of our Lord Jesus Christ when He gave His own life on the cruel cross as an acceptable, efficacious sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
I have seen with my own eyes on the TV how Christians were violently forced in India on pain of death [many refused] to convert to Hinduism. Faith is an indiviual right sacrosanct in any humane society. If one's faith is true, one should not need to coerce and even force another, let that faith prevail if it is the truth from God, or as in your faith, Gods.
May our Lord bless you and touch your life Mr. Sameer.
In His love and under His amaziing grace
Siong Kai
ong siong kai, Jakarta, Indonesia
Added: Thursday, October 9, 2008, 7:34 (BST)
To Farukh Riaz (Sri Lanka) and Kai (Indonesia)
In case, you can read and understand English nowhere in my previous comment I condoned violence against Christians in Orissa. What I was trying to do is explain the socio-political conditions which created this problem in the first place. No religion justifies killing of innocent people and if some Hindu organizations have resorted to this, I condemn them in the harshest way possible.
I only made that reference to my being an upper-caste Hindu because I wanted to clarify things from the p.o.v of my religious background. I don't feel any special pride or privileged status because the caste system in India is slowly dying and I'm all in favour of uplifting marginalized lower castes through education and work opportunity. I treat everyone as my equals like most other Hindus of today. Racism and caste-based discrimination is always wrong and I don't have two opinions about it.
I only object to demonization of Hindus in Western media because of a few splinter elements who bring the majority of us a bad name. Persecution of any human being because of their religion, race or language is deplorable.
Also, I do have issues against forced coversion by some Evangelical Christians. If someone wants to become a Christian according to their own conscience, I fully encourage and support them. As for me, despite being Hindu I follow syncretic belief system where I have a special place in my heart for Jesus :)
Sameer, India
Added: Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 12:35 (BST)
It really is sad that seemingly educated people like Mr Sameer cannot react as humans should when they see or hear of rape, torture and death and that is to appeal for it to stop. To be appaled and shocked at the tragic loss of life and dignity and to try and bring humanity back from the depths it can fall to places of intelligence, love, respect and dignity. It is what is supposed to make us different from animals.
But I suppose one of the problems, is that we can all get caught up in history, right and wrong and forget that all humans are brothers and sisters and we should support each other regardless of race, creed or religion.
Jesus tried to teach people to love their "enemies" but few humans can do that without divine strength, let's hope and pray that the love of God supercedes the violence and hate in India.
Every person is created free and equal, only people say they are not.
Furrukh
Furrukh Riaz, Sri Lanka
Added: Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 9:26 (BST)
Dear Mr. Sameer,
You have, by your almost bigotted comments, in reality condoned the now current violence and persecution of Christians in Orissa and elsewhere.
I am glad, very very glad, that its to the lowest of caste, even the "untouchables" that our Precious Lord Jesus Christ have chosen to call and to bring, by His grace and mercy, salvation to them, and not so much to the high caste that you so wish to preserve as sacrosanct to your traditions, practice and beliefs, in spite of the cruelties they bring.
Yes, our Lord has already said that He has brought with this, His Way, His Truth and His Life, destruction and matrydom, and we readily accept that which you seem to condone, even our own death/s, that some may find eternal life in Him.
"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." said Jesus our Precious Lord.
Jesus declared: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Perhaps, your high caste status deludes you into believing what you believe erroneously.
May our Lord save your soul.
Kai, Jakarta, Indonesia
Added: Sunday, October 5, 2008, 14:47 (BST)
As an Indian and someone belonging to the uppermost Hindu caste, let me alleviate all your concerns regarding this issue:
1. Orissa is today among the poorest states of India. Rampant poverty will gradually create an evil bent of mind in people who then see little compassion and can resort to murder and rape without second thought. These pogroms are a by-product of poverty alone and it's not fair to target majority Hindus as perpetrators of such crimes. Clearly, we do not support it. Just compare these incidents to thousands of crimes committed by Christians ever since Jesus preached you the gospel. The Inquisitions in Europe, the witch-hunting, the internal fighting between Catholics and Protestants have been recorded in history as Genocide-all that was actually "done in the name of Christian God".
If in modern times, one does not come across such genocidal acts in majority-Christian countries, it's because many of them are economically well-off. Wealth and prosperity scarcely creates barbaric conditions which was once the situation in all European nations. India is going through a similar transition phase in current history.
2. The Indian State does not support these pogroms at any level. We are a secular nation and all religions are equally respected here. It's one thing to voice concerns over segments of Indian government, police and judiciary who fail to protect innocents and it's quite another thing to downright accuse all Hindus of being culpable for such crimes. Truth is we do not have effective control over remote, far-flung areas which are autonomous from Government interference.
3. The state of Orissa has a 3000-year ancient civilization which some of these evangelical Christians want to eliminate and eradicate by importing traditions from an alien land called Israel. Orissa is the same state which saw the great war of Kalinga in 261 BC and led to the emergence of one of the greatest emperors of Asian history, Asoka who was responsible for spreading Buddhism around the world. Orissa has made immense contribution to several aspects of Indian culture in Art, music, dance, painting, Architecture and Linguistics. The "Odissi" dance is world-renowned for its graceful metaphysical attributes connecting the body and soul -it's derived from Hindu spiritual traditions. The temples of Orissa like Jagannath Puri and Sun Temple (Konark) are best examples of Indian architecture and sculpture. Even Orissa literature is based on Hindu religious traditions.
It's one thing to understand and appreciate Jesus Christ and his teachings and come to his path by one's own volition - a fundamental freedom in India is to choose any religion you want "as an individual". But, when you handpick a segment of poor and uniformed people specifically for the purpose of conversion to your religion, you're denying them their choice of taking pride in their own cultural heritage. That's where the Christian missionaries are wrong and insincere. Abject force is the reason Christianity is at its lowest following in several European countries -none of the Britons I ever met had a particularly kind thing to say about Christianity. There's too much dogma and intolerance among modern followers of Christianity which I dare say, is contrary to what your Jesus told you.
Hinduism is the eternal religion and the basic identity of India. Any attempts to overrun it will be met with fierce resistance.
Sameer, India
