Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – It is the triumph of injustice and "the failure of the rule of law" - say the local faithful – this is what is happening in Orissa, as we approach the anniversary of the 3rd anti-Christian massacres of 2008. On 24 August, the day chosen as a symbol, the Christians in Orissa will pray and gather to remember the victims and to raise their voice, demanding justice. A local court has just sentenced just nine men to hard labor accused of violence, arson and illegal assemblies, during a wave of persecution that affected the faithful in the district of Khandhamal in 2008. The court's decision is judged by the Christian community as being "too soft and totally
inadequate". A source of Fides in Khandhamal explains: "The situation in the courts is alarming and does not look good for Christians, especially because witnesses are intimidated, they feel insecure and are afraid. And the new head of the local police is like his predecessors: only nice words but no concrete action".
The Catholic John Dayal, human rights activist and head of the Ecumenical Forum "All India Christian Council", said in a message sent to Fides: "We must bring the matter to the attention of the national consciousness, aiming for an uprising of civil society, of churches, movements, NGOs and associations". The Indian civil society, Dayal says, in all its interreligious components, "must ask the Court of Delhi to finalize its report on the tragedy; it is urgent to review the situation of the trials, and for them to be fair and safe; refugees should be given compensation for complete rehabilitation, especially by building homes and giving land ". Besides, notes Dayal, "it is appropriate to promote a series of programs and projects, of NGOs and of the central government, for the socio-economic development of the population of Orissa", while "it would be useful if the large network of international media made documentaries on the present situation in Khandhamal ".
In the massacres perpetrated by Hindu extremists in 2008 by the organization "Sangh Parivar", in the district of Kandhamal, over 56,000 Christians, between Dalits and tribals, were driven out from their homes and their lands and forced to take refuge in the forest or in refugee camps. In 400 villages "ethnic cleansing of Christians" was carried out and about 300 churches were burned. There were about 100 deaths, thousands injured, many women raped. Over 2,000 houses have not yet been rebuilt and the Christian families live in shelters or barracks, camped on the outskirts of Bhubanewar, the capital of Orissa. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/07/2011)
