Persecuted Christians in Orissa refuse to weaken in faith

Orissa Christians in refugee camps told a visiting Living Letters team from World Council of Churches (WCC) that they had begun to rebuild their homes and lives, but added they were afraid to return to their villages permanently in case of further attacks.

The Living Letters team travelled recently to Kandhamal district in eastern Indian state of Orissa in solidarity with the victims of the violence that broke out following the murder of the hard-line Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 2008. Hindus blamed Christians for killing Saraswati even though Maoist rebels had publicly claimed responsibility for the murder.

Following the swami’s death, Hindu mobs attacked Christians, burning their homes, shops, churches and orphanages. At least 60 Christians were killed, according to the Orissa government’s report, but church leaders in Orissa report higher figures and have accused the government of intentionally undercounting the number of deaths.

About 4,500 Christian homes were burned and 180 churches destroyed. More than 30,000 Christians from Orissa were forced to take shelter in refugee camps for many months, many of them are still finding difficult to settle down.