Comment (21)
Email
Print
del.icio.us
TechnoratiIndia’s national shame
Attacks on impoverished Christians in the northeastern state of Orissa have shocked the nation.
China and India may be keeping the world economy ticking over with their phenomenal growth rates, but their human rights records lag far behind. China’s treatment of Tibet, its cruel one-child policy and its persecution of independent religious groups is well-known. But India has its own problems with human rights and savage religious persecution which are being ignored by the world media. In the latest eruption of religious violence in the poor northeastern state of Orissa, impoverished Christians have been the target of horrific violence.
The respected newspaper The Times of India says that "many believe Orissa has brought religious hatred in India to a new low". It quotes Asit Mohanty, of the Global Council of Indian Christians, who describes recent incidents as "the worst-ever attack on the Christian community in the history of independent India." They have been described as a "national shame" by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The violence began on August 23. Eighty-five-year-old Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his followers were gunned down at a school in the Kandhamal district of Orissa. Guruji, as he was known, was a fanatical Hindu nationalist. One of his objectives was to wipe out Christians and Christianity from Kandhamal and its environs, because their numbers had increased over the past 30 years. He attributed this to force and fraud by Christian missionaries. "The sooner Christians return to the Hindu fold the better it would be for the country," was his feeling.
A local TV channel reported that the murderers had left a note declaring that this was a revenge killing for attacks on Christians last Christmas. Who really killed him? Guruji had many enemies. The most likely suspects, say local police, are the Maoist guerillas who still infest the jungles of Orissa. But it was Christians who were blamed by local Hindus.
On the following day, a meeting of leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Orissa, the Hindu nationalist party, Rastriya Swayam Sevak (RSS), a Hindu militant organisation, and other groups, decided on immediate retaliation.
In the violent aftermath at least 25 people have died and about 50 churches and 4,000 Christian houses have been destroyed. The violence is spreading to the nearby states of Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
On August 25, FatherThomas Chellan was dragged out of a house in Kandhmal where he and a nun had taken shelter. A mob of about 50 men armed with clubs, axes, spades, crowbars, iron roads, sickles mercilessly thrashed him and kerosene was poured over him to burn him. They were paraded half-naked for half a kilometer.
Another priest, Father Edward Sequera, who was running an orphanage in Kandhamal was beaten with spades, sickles and iron bars for more than an hour. After that his room was set on fire. Fortunately he escaped death by locking himself into the bathroom. But his attackers scaled the roof of the orphanage where Rajani Majhi, the 19-year-old caretaker, had locked herself in along with the 20 children. They entered the room, dragged her outside, tied her hands together and burnt her alive. Rajani was a Hindu.
More than 400 churches, 500 houses and many Christian institutions have been gutted. Many Christians have fled to the jungle for safety. Similar incidents have happened throughout Orissa. Even in its capital Bhuvaneswar, Christian schools have been ransacked. Raphael Cheenath, the Catholic archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, says that it is clear that "the fanatical forces of Hindutva want to eliminate Christians from Orissa".
Hindu fanatics are even invading the camps set up for the 50,000 Christians in relief camps in Kandhamal. There are credible reports of groups going to the relief camp and threatening people to reconvert to Hinduism. In one relief camp, two extremists were caught by a security guard trying to poison the drinking water.
Sadly, none of this comes as a surprise. On Christmas Eve 2007, more than 40 churches, convents and 700 Christian houses were burnt down. Christian villagers hid in the jungles for weeks. In 1999, an Australian evangelical missionary and his two sons were burnt to death by a mob.
What is the truth of Hindu accusations of forced conversions to Christianity? Nearly all of them are absurd. An anti-conversion law recently came into force in the state of Gujarat, on the western coast of the sub-continent. Missionaries convicted of "forcibly converting" someone could face up to three years in prison. However, there have been only three complaints of "forcible" conversions in Gujarat in the last 10 years, and only two of those concerned Christians.
In fact, the Christian population of India appears to be declining slightly. From 2.61 percent of the population in 1981, it fell to 2.53 percent and 2.3 percent in the census for 1991 and 2001. According to the latest census, conducted in 2001, 80.5 percent of India's inhabitants are Hindu, while 13.4 percent are Muslim.
The fundamental rights of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion are enshrined in Article 25 of the Indian Constitution. Officially, India is secular. However, outside of the capital, New Delhi, the state ideology of secularism quickly runs out of steam. In fact, the BJP has managed to pass anti-conversions laws in five of India’s 28 states. In 1967 Orissa became the first state to legislate against religious conversion -- with an act bizarrely named the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act.
The upshot of this is that in some of the BJP-ruled states, this fundamental right to practice and propagate one’s religion now almost ceases to exist -- especially among the poor dalits, or untouchables, and aboriginal tribal peoples.
The violence against the Christians in Kandhamal is linked to the empowerment of the dalits and tribals. Through education dalits and tribals have been achieving dignity freedom from oppressive traditions of caste-based discrimination and slavery. This has sometimes been violently opposed by dominant castes, who could no longer rely upon them for cheap farm labour or bonded labour.
As Telesphore Toppo, the Cardinal of Ranchi -- India’s first tribal cardinal – has said, "Suppressing and restricting the freedom of religion and conscience is the worst kind of slavery. The dalits and the tribals have suffered as they are deprived of freedom by opportunists who are raising the issue of conversion for their own political mileage".
The Guruji’s followers remain adamant, claiming they will "do everything possible to protect the Hindu faith in Orissa." Kabi Chandra Nath, his successor, says ominously, "We are not converting anyone. We are simply bringing misguided followers back to the fold."
Catholic authorities have asked the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the violence against Christians in Orissa. But it is unrealistic to expect much support. After the December riots, government compensation for damage to Christian property was meagre. "This paltry amount given by way of compensation is also the reflective of the will to secure justice for the Christians, more seriously", said Archbishop Cheenath. "No serious action was taken against the perpetrators of the December violence and the culprits are emboldened by their freedom."
Like China, the Indian government will not accept any interference in its internal affairs. But without pressure from overseas, it is unrealistic to expect the central government to take firm steps to quench the violence. There is not much sign of that at the moment. A spokesman for the British High Commission in Delhi, almost yawned. ‘‘India is viewed as a diverse place and the country has made a success of diversity,’’ he said. "A few incidents cannot mar the image of the country." What is needed is a world action, like the "Free Tibet" campaign which has galvanised people around the world. Otherwise, it is absolutely certain that more impoverished Christians will die for their faith.
Anjalee Lewis is a freelance journalist writing from Mumbai.
Dear Shanmaya,
I thank you for accepting these rape and violence against Christians are Shameful. Its not only Shameful But Inhuman also.
You said, that you are a Hindu. And in Hindu religion God is one and everybody is his son. we never feel anybody is a enemy. That is a good philosophy and good statement which is also the basic principle of Ours too. But how Can you accept the people who Rape, act violently, who genocide The One God’s children As a Hindu? What is the step you are going to take to convert Extremists in to a Good Human, Good citezen of India / world?
You Said, “Even if you are a Christian you are Hindu, that is our tradition.” But the Laws of Your Country says who ever not Muslims, Christians, Budhist, shikh… are Hindus. Thus You contradict with Indian constitution Laws And you become an Law breaker. Is in’t it?
Like You, the Muslims, Christians and every other religious persons in India do have a constitutional right to practice their faith and to preach it, profess it and to propagate it. It pains to see such basic rights of mankind being cruelly violated every day in this great Hindu nation.
Thank you sanmaya for having a good Dialouge.you replied for 2 (sl no 1 and 5 of my reviews). HOPE YOU MAY GIVE replies for others also. (sl no 2,3,4& 6)
In forty years there are 20 cases alone. you said that 20 also cases were supressed due to international forces.Great Joke.Can you mention any record that when and which are the international forces intervined in which court or police station of India? How they manage to supress the Laws in India?
Thank you for accepting the medical facility offered in missionary Hospitals. Please go and see the ground reality in home for dying run by missionaries of charities in India. Dying humans who are not cared by the society are at the hands of cotton dressed angels. They care of their souls also. They guide them to accept the dying situation, guide them to become a human in heart and act atleast when he dies. Even if they have no clue about his religion they chant all the religious prayers in his funeral.Once Govt of west bengal offers a funeral ground to this Missioneries for taking care of dying ,uncared humans. All the extremists opposed&Called;for Strike. Minister from Govt came to see that venue and Saw mother tresa holding a dying,almost rotten human in her lap and cleaning his rotten wounds. Minister told the protestors if your mother or sister take care of this oppressed dying humans Like this whole heartedly I will oblige your request. Do you know what happened? A hindu priest who was the main protestor was attmitted latter in that home. No fellow protesters to take care them when he got Leprosy. Mother cares. He told “I saw the Maakaalli whom I worshiped, inYou”. He died peacefully in mother Tresas hand. For this they missioneries of charity wont look in to the holybook alone. Because they are not follower of Literal words alone;they are followers of Living God. They are not like the disiples of paramaartha Guru. They are desiples of Jesus a humanitarian God.Got the point sanmaya?
If you are asking about cases most of the cases are supressed due to international force. Everything what I told is true and what I saw in my childhood. Are you telling it is untrue of what I saw. Then I can’t say anything.
Offering medical facility is good. But I didn’t find it in bible that you should ask the religion to a people when he is dying.
You should come here and see the ground reality. Thanks
In continuation of my opinion Dear Sanmaya,
5)you said Christian Hospitals doesnt allow non-Christian patient when he/she is very seriously ill. But the fact world Know.For example, Do you seen missionaries of charity Bros and Sisters in India? Those belong to the congregation of Mother Teresa. They accepts any human at any critical stage. If He is an orphan and dies, they arrange the funeral with Hindu rituals if he is a Hindu; with muslim ritual if he belongs to Muslim Faith. In Christian ritual if only He accepted Jesus personally. There is no force. World Know this fact also.
Do you know What happened Once? At night a group of Hindu extremists knock the residence of these Sisters, told one of them was so serious. When the door was opened, they forcefully entered and raped that angel. Is this a hindu ritual? Is this less sinful?
6)You may call me a Hindu,you can share what is your way of living. But you cannot force me to follow only your way of thinking. That is my option. As every Hindu I prayed to God As…
Asatoma sat gamaya (Bring me from the unreal to the truth).
And Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life”;
I pray…
Tamasoma jyotir gamaya (Bring me from darkness to light).
And Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”;
I pray…
Mrityorma amritam gamaya (Bring me from mortality to immortality).
And Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
With this clear answer I cannot resist my self to accept Jesus, If I am a True Seeker of True God. If you are a true seeker you also cannot resist.
Now also You may call me as a Hindu, But I know I accepted Jesus as my redeemer.
Dear Shanmaya,
I thank you for accepting these rape and violence agaist Chirstians are Shameful. Its not only Shameful But Inhuman also.
1) Forced Conversion is banned by (hindutva govt) in Orissa from 1968 it self. From then for the forty years of time there are only 20 to 22 cases registered by police. (who is always friendly with Hindu Land lords). But do you know?.. none of these cases are proved in Court. What does it mean? Means these are False charges by police and false complaints By Hindu Extremists.
2) Now the Hindu extremists and terrorists (not all the Hindu brethrens) Forcing the same innocent people to reconvert in to your Creed by violently taking them in to hindu temple, force them to worship man made Goddess (which even their fore fathers doesn’t worshiped (they are nature worshipers). Forcing them to drink cow dung and cow urine mixture as a ritual of accepting Hinduism. Forcefully Shave his Head to bring Shame on Him. Is this Not a Forceful Conversion. What does the Govt doing to stop this inhuman Act?
3) Offering money, land, transportation, education, Medical need to another person is not a sinful act. Many people of India were refused these and more by the upper castes in India. Christians Share their belongings to these oppressed people. And share their Faith “that all humans are equal before God.” Those who find the difference in oppressed Faith and liberating Faith, accept the One God who liberates them. What’s wrong in it?
4) The politicians who brought Check list for coversions Should answer this. Is Converting from one political party into another, Sinful? If any body can choose / change any political party as His, Why cannot one is allowed to change His Faith about God who he doesn’t see, doesn’t get any help?
With Love In Christ, shanmaya.
The incident is shameful. I agree with it. But do you ever know how missionaries acting here in Orissa? In India where a forced change of religion is banned, the missionaries from different part of world came here and offers money, land, vehicles etc to convert them. They sometimes even force a hindu to leave the village.
But once when Police took an action against such case in Puri, so many international organizations protest it. It should be stopped. Sometimes I even saw some christian hospitals even do not allow non-Christian patient when he/she is very serious. I hope you will understand all these situations.
I’m a Hindu. And in Hindu religion God is one and everybody is his son. Even if you are a Christian you are Hindu, that is our tradition. I go to temple, church, musjids, gurudwara everywhere. we never feel anybody is a enemy.
I’m surely against the incident and don’t want innocents should suffer. But you should check the aforesaid things and take serious action against the missonaries who are forcing others to change the religion.
I hope you will be with me. Thanks
Thanks for your well documented story on Anti-Christian violence that ravaged Kandhamal district of Orissa, Just
Now the latest terror emerging is the Forced Reconversion to Hinduism of Christians- they are being tonsured, forced to drink cow dung water and cow’s urine and recite Hindu chants. The Kandhamal Christians are terrified of returning to their homes and villages.
Official sources have confirmed that more than 12,000 (twelve thousand) Christians have left the Relief Camps, and migrated to other States in India.
Anjalee Lewis mentioned the nun and Fr Thomas Chellan who were paraded semi-naked. Prior to being paraded ,the Nun was raped and the medical reports by Governmental Lady Doctors confirmed this sad fact.
In fact, only, 39 days after the incident, the Orissa government had admitted that the nun (sister Meena) at K Nuagaon was raped and only then did the Chief Minister of Orissa Mr Naveen Patnaik publicly described it as ‘shameful”.
The Supreme Court has turned down the plea to hand over the investigation into the rape- from the Orissa police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and, instead, asked sister Meena, to cooperate with the police.
Sr Meena stated in a Press Conference to the Media at the Indian Social Institute on October 24th, in New Delhi- http://www.persecution.in/node/3422-, that she did not want to be ‘victimized’ by the Orissa police who were friendly with her attackers.and has demanded a CBI enquiry into the incident.
Let not the safety and well-being and the human rights of the harried victims of communal violence not be held ransom by political interests and equations, by both the state and the Central Governments. Justice delayed is justice denied is the reality as far as the poor nun is concerned and it is all the more true since the nun is from a dalit background.
Global council of Indian Christians (GCIC)welcomes the positive response of the Orissa state chief minister’s offer to the nun to choose a venue of her choice to carry out the vital test identification parade anywhere in the country.
It is also gratifying to learn that the honourable minister has also directed the Crime Branch of Orissa police to adopt a ‘prompt’ and ‘professional’ approach in the nun rape case.GCIC hopes that this professional help should also include the expertise of the ferderal government. GCIC believes that the truth will set all of us free. A process of healing and reconciliation will cover the hearts and minds of the victims of terror in Kandhamal and else where. May God bless India and the rest of the world with peace and tranquility
I have to believe that Matthew was being tongue in cheek sarcastic and not really believing the sick words he was writing. For if he did, I can actually see where the need to retaliate against people who thought this way and practiced their religion this way would come from. Hinduism will be around for many more thousands of years because it teaches tolerance for others. Perhaps Hindus today are learning intolerance and persecution from the other Monotheistic religions that think they are far superior while each trying to eradicate the other off the face of the earth. What a tragic joke!!!!
Well Said First Guy.
and dear friend who hide in the name of mathew!
please comment any thing with your original face.
What you have commented above is nothing connected with Christian preception.
calling others as Fool..
proudly Killing…
exterminating....
killing the identity of any country…
making any country into another America or Britan…
and so on
all are from the brain wash teaching, make over belief given by School of RSS and its wings to thier desiples.
and you are vomiting these indirectly in the name of Mathew, a Christian Name.
and with a immmaculate Hindu face,you will Cry in another Site to our Hindu Brethern , to watch what a Christian Mathew Said. Fine Play by Dear RSS / it wings.
Mathew, as I said earlier, I agree with you that it is a shame.
However, I really disagree on that hindus are “fools” or that all of them “have gone to hell"… Also, I don’t think we are “killing” that religion, nor that we are going to “exterminate” it and definitely I am fully against your words “kill the identity of this country and make it another America or Britain..."… that couldn’t be any further from the real Christian Spirit.
I’m Roman Catholic as most of my friends here and I consider myself Indian, of the present India, with its customs and traditions. Of course, there are many things to improve, and we are working on that, and certainly I would also like my hindu friends to believe on the true faith, but never to the extent of forcing them or even to think they are fools for not believing what I believe.
Cheers.
This is indeed a shame. We Christian entered this land a few hundred years ago where hinduisam was practiced for over 5000 years and all those fools that practiced this idol worshiping sin have gone to hell. we are proudly killing that religion and spreading the word of god. we will exterminate this sinful religion and kill the identity of this country and make it another America or Britan or any other cristhian country where there is no crime no desease no death no rape litreally no sin. We must show them the way to god and turn all thier temples to churches. only then will the holy spirit smile at us. Amen.
Miss Anjali:
It is heart breaking to see the apathy of the government and police who are supposed to protect the weak against the strong, the victims against their unjust oppressors, the minority against a majority. God have mercy on those who are join their hands in these evil acts. I pray that God will provide speedy justice and help to those poor destitute dalits.
Daniel
USA
May the violence in Orissa and other parts Of India stop. I ask this why hurt the children. What do they have to do what is going on, They are innocent. And why hurt innocent people like the nuns.priests,missionaries and lays. What harm are they doing nothing at all. They are all loving, caring.and peaceful people. They do a lot of good things. Like teaching helping caring for the sick and caring for the poor in India and all over the world. Is this what they get for caring. May god give them the strength and guidance to go on doing his will. And may god forgive the ones that hurt them. For they do not know better.May god bless all of the people in India . May we all live in peace like brothers and sisters.From jacike email address is
Thank you, Anjalee for making these appalling facts known. According to the information I have gathered from different sources, the situation described by you is not in the least exaggerated and it is still very tense. Unfortunatelly the media have given few details and most citizens of our country are not well informed. Is there any conspiracy to prevent those horrible events from being known?
Page 1 of 2 : 1 2 >