Orissa: Christian children lose education to violence

Christian children in the Kandhamal district of Orissa will lose a year of school due to the violence in August by Hindu fundamentalists, according to the head of the Global Council of Indian Christians.

GCIC chairman Sajan K George said that hundreds of children would miss out on a year of school after being forced to flee with their families to refugee camps after the violence started.

Although the violence has since subsided the school year is nearly over and many children are still in camps away from their villages.

The church in Orissa regards education as a high priority to aid in the development and emancipation of the population there.

Mr George said, “Many victims of the violence have said that when they were being attacked their assailants deliberately targeted their certificates and diplomas, ripped them up and burnt the pieces,” reports AsiaNews.

He continued, “The missionaries’ work with Dalits was one of the reasons for fundamentalists’ loathing and jealousy. Stifling our children’s education in Kandhamal is one of their goals.”

Tensions remain high in Kandhamal and although attacks have stopped, the potential for attacks remains the same as ever it was.

Mr George said, “With elections just around the corner, the situation is getting even tenser... Christians in Kandhamal are still discriminated against and could become second-class citizens because they have no identity papers and so cannot exercise their fundamental right to vote.”

Last Thursday, Krishan Kumar, who runs the government refugee camps in Kandhamal, said there were still 4,000 remaining out of the initial 25,000 refugees. Of these, 2,500 have been moved to temporary camps close to their villages of origin. There are currently only 1,500 people left in the Tikabali, K Nuagaon and Raikia relief camps, he said.

John Dayal, director of the All Indian Christian Council (AICC) said the figures "clearly point out to the fact that no housing has yet been planned for these unfortunate people".

"What is more, the government is not taking into account refugees in non-governmental relief camps, other refugees who are in Srikakulam in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh as well as thousands more who have been taken in by relatives in other towns and cities or who have ended in New Delhi and other places eking out a living doing odd jobs.”