Orissa violence continues as Baptist preacher found murdered

Christians in Orissa have said that the suspected murder of a Baptist lay leader proves that anti-Christian violence has not yet subsided in the Indian state.

The Catholic archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar has confirmed that Hrudyananda Nayak, 45, was found dead in the jungle near his home village of Rudangia, in Kandhamal district.

The archdiocese said that they suspected that Nayak had been killed two days before, whilst returning to a government-run relief camp from his village.

Bidhan Nayak, a cousin of the victim, said, "The cause of murder is not yet known," reports UCANews.com. According to his cousin, Hrudyananda Nayak had received death threats since the start of anti-Christian violence in August of last year.

Anti-Christian pogroms were sparked when a Hindu nationalist leader’s murder was blamed on Christians. Christians, backed up by the local police, denied any involvement in the murder.

During the violence over 60 people - mostly Christians - were killed and some 50,000 people were displaced after their homes were destroyed.

Thousands of Christians were forced to live in relief camps either because they had no homes to go to, or because they fear yet more violence if they return to their villages. There are reportedly several thousand still living in the camps.

Father Prasanna Singh, a parish priest in Kandhamal, said that this most recent murder of a Christian proved to the world that the violence against Christians is still continuing.

The murder has shocked Christians in the state, he said.

According to UCANews.com he said, "If the government cannot take stern steps to control this violence, (the Hindu radicals) will finish off all priests and Christian leaders"

Christian leaders believe the state government is tacitly supporting the violence. The pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is part of a two party coalition government in the state.

Rabindra Parichha, a social activist, also said that he believes that Hindu extremists have decided to kill are Christian leaders and that "they are working toward their target".

Parichha said that Nayak was the fourth Christian to be abducted and killed after the violence subsided in October. He added that in many cases people were killed but no body was found, meaning that they were reported by the police as missing persons

He said, "The state should take strong action against the culprits."