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Triggered
by the killing of a Hindu Swami Laxmanananda by Maoists,
Right wing hindu groups VHP and Bajrang Dal have
convinced local hindus that christians killed him and
instigated them to resort to unprecedented and continued
violence against them.
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A death toll
near 52 - all
christians.
Over
15,000 people in refugee
camps.
Number of people hiding in the forests
50,000-60,000
During the last eight weeks, over 2000
houses burnt down. Only houses of christians were
targetted.
Over
100 churches and 20 convents, presbyteries and other
church institutions destroyed.
On
Oct 6th Orissa State Police confirmed that the Maoists
killed the Swami - but the killing and persecution
continues.
No
Humanitarian Agency haa been to work in the
affected areas.
Christians not allowed to pray even in
Government-run refugee camps.
Individuals belonging to Sangh Pariwar
are responsible for this carnage. This is politically
motivated. This ideology not shared by the majority of
Hindus.
Christians being forced to "recovert" to
hindusim as a pre-condition to return to their homes
and to guarantee
safety.
Relief camps
attacked.
See Mr. Karan Thapar a well respected
journalist’s comments here.
As a Canadian
response to protect the Human Rights of the
affected people, we undertake the following:
1- Visit to parliament hill with
a number of teams of people from your group where you
can visit parliamentarians and put to them the problem
which the Christian in India are facing and ask for
government intervention. If this is to be done it has to
be done with the next three weeks as the House of
Commons then rises for Christmas. (Estimated Budget: $2,500
approx.)
2-Letters to be written to MPs
as soon as possible and as many as possible in order to
bring the problem to light. Remember the more letters we
receive the better. It brings the problem on the radar
screen.
3-A delegation of two or
three Canadian MPs to visit India and engage the
local authorities and file a report of its
findings, table and raise it at the Canadian Parliament
so that the Canadian government recognises this issue as
a Human Rights issue and starts a dialogue with the
Indian government to address it immediately. (Estimated Budget: $20,000
approx.)
We urgently
require funding for this effort - please email jay@jaybanerjei.com
with your pledges.
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Following is a summary of
Human Rights violations instigated by VHP and Bajrang
Dal activists in the Indian state of Orissa that have been
recorded by the Evangelical Fellowship of India (http://www.efionline.org/articles/1620.htm).
More pictures can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/esther.sammy/ORISSA#5167576008330866674 or
http://picasaweb.google.com/bunu13/AttackOnChurchesInOrissa2008#5153535920204048562
Some specific Human Rights Violations:
Following are
some specific cases of Human Rights violations commited
by Right-Wing extremist groups in the Indian state of
Orissa that have been recorded by the Evangelical
Fellowship of India.
1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th,
Monday, after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in
Bargarh district in Orissa during a bandh called by
Hindu nationalist parties.Twenty children, who were at
the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest suffered
serious burn injuries in the attack.
2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another
person, Rasananda Pradhan, was burnt to death when his
house was set ablaze at Rupa village in Kandhamal
district.
3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS:
During the bandh inflammatory speeches spreading hatred
against the Christian workers and the community were
given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support,the
activists have also carried the body of Swamiji
throughout the town.
4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE:
Churches were attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh,
Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and
Kandhamal districts as also in the state capital, police
sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in
Phulbani town.
5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal
was beaten up, while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal
and Jitendra were burnt. Several buses at Gee Udaigiri
in Baliguda were burnt.
6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at
Phulbani,and several other churches at Phiringia were
attacked and ransacked. Pastor D. Tatson's house was
vandalized and his property burnt.
7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in
Kakriguma have been targeted by the mob that reportedly
damaged the Assembly Of God Church and the Philadelphia
Church.
8) WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World
Vision India office ransacked and the Staff has also
fled to jungle for protection.
9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR
PROTECTION: A police camp at Barakhama was also attacked
by the Hindu fundamentalists. With several houses being
burnt down and people being made homeless, many
Christians,particularly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and
Suna Tonga have fled into forests for their lives.
10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the
Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra,
the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was
reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of
Hindutva extremists before the building itself was
destroyed.
11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas,
director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi,
less than a kilometer away from the Social Service
Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was
attacked. They were taken to the police station in a
disheveled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood.
The Pastoral centre was then set afire.
12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN:
On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block
headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of
Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between
24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a
Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties.
13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in
Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel
and tonsured their heads.
14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008
morning followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati
damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district
headquarter town.
15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs
attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers' residence and
hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt
two months ago, and beat up the patients.
16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP'S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the
morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several
attempts to enter the compounds of Catholic Church and
Archbishop's house in the heart of the Capital of the
State of Orissa. They could not enter because of the
police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of
Archbishop's House, damaging windows.
17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of
fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish,
managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property.
Two priests of the parish are missing.
18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya
Pragati, is attacked and his property damaged, vehicle
looted and burnt.
19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in
Bhubaneswar is also damaged.
20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold's
School (Kalinga Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.
21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]:
Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and
destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places.
But nothing seems safe.
22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns'
residence have been damaged.
23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister's residence
(Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.
24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted
to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved
away from the place.
25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently
under attack.
26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small
churches in various districts, including Padampur,
Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda,
Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada,
Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.
27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses
attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi
Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri,
Tikabali.
28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though
the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place
where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.
29) PASTORS' HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh
of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt
in Bhawanipatna.
30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and
burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten
up.
31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor
Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up
and chased away with their families.
32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack
Christians.
The government has sent forces, it is
reported. A delegation of Christian leaders under the
leadership of Archbishop Vincent Concessao, the
President of National United Christian Forum of CBCI,
NCCI and EFI, met the Home Minister Shri Shiv Raj Patil
and submitted a memorandum. The Home Minister assured
the delegation all necessary steps have been taken to
maintain peace and harmony and protect the innocent. He
also expressed his helplessness by stating that police
protection cannot be given in all villages.
[This list is compiled with assistance
from Archbishop's House, Bhubaneswar, John Dayal, Light
Foundation and EFI News reporters and other sources]
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