INDIA: Christians attacked in Orissa by hardline Hindus

Although not much has been written about Hindu hardliners in the mainstream media, the Associated Press  has reported on the recent clashes between Christians and Hindu nationalists in the eastern Indian state of Orissa that made about 700 Christians flee to government-run relief camps. Last week, four people died during clashes.

The killings and subsequent flight of nearly 700 Christians to four relief camps are the latest in a series of religious and political power struggles in the secular but Hindu-dominated India's eastern state of Orissa, which has one of the worst histories of anti-Christian violence.

According to the report, the Hindus had complained that the police were unable to protect them from Christians.

There were conflicting reports of what sparked the violence in rural Kandhamal, about 840 miles southeast of New Delhi. Each side blamed the other.

The Hindu hard-liners said Christians tried to attack an 80-year-old leader, Laxmanananda Saraswati, of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad group, who leads an anti-conversion movement.

The New Delhi-based Catholic Bishops Conference of India said the fighting began when Hindu extremists took offense at a show marking Christmas Eve, believing it was an attempt to convert poor and lower-caste Hindus to Christianity.

Last week, Ashok Sharma of the Associated Press reported that Hindu hardliners had burned six churches in a village that killed one person.

Although Hindus, the overwhelming majority of India's 1.1 billion people, and Christians, who make up around 2.5 percent of the population, have tended to coexist peacefully in India, the region where the violence took place has a history of tension between the communities.

Orissa, in fact, is the only Indian state that has a law requiring people to obtain police permission before they change their religion, a move designed to counter missionary work.

Something that might help understand the rise in Hindu nationalism, also referred to as Hindutva, is a series of articles in the October issue of Himal magazine (published out of Kathmandu).

In the cover feature "Saffron Terror", Subash Gatade writes that there is a rise in militant Hinduism but a conspiracy of silence seems to hide this reality (the photo above is from this article).

Comments

[Deepak]

This "report" appears to be second hand or third hand report. It does not represent the facts from the ground. Please refrain from making such frivolous remarks and dilute the credibility of your organization and your supporting eco-systems.

[Anup Kaphle]

Thanks for your comments Deepak. Can you please explain what you are referring to as "frivolous remarks"? Also, it would be great if you can direct us to some facts from the ground. I cited some AP articles which I am sure were reports from the ground. Thanks much.

[Mulaparthi]

Looks like the recent tension is an aftermath of the deplorable killing of VHP leader Laxmananandan Saraswathi. Some reports are suggesting a Maoist hand in the killing of the leader. An independant investigation should shed some light on the event. Law enforcement needs to do a better job managing this very volatile situation.

[phoenix]

When there is a problem you should see the cause. The cause of this problem is conversion. I am giving you a solution. Stop your conversions the problems will die as it came. Yes I am a supporter of India and not to a religion. Thousands of Christians are dying of hunger and poverty in Africa. Why cant you go and spend the money there. In US millions of Christians don’t have Basic medical facility. Come on help them. Instead don’t try to polarize our society. If you guts go to the Middle East and try your stupid, non-sense conversion tricks.

I am not a supporter of killing humans. I am against violence as our Great Gandhiji has taught us. But you can't keep converting innocent people for more that 300 years. I think its our duty to protect our religion and people from this barbaric conversions. Every religion /society has it own up and downs. Still there is racial discrimination in US and Europe. As time passes and India rises economically we will be able to get ride of our stupid caste system . But in the mean time dont try to divide us using your religion. Please allow us to leave in peace and we have only one country for us. Long live Bharat Matha.

If you feel that your are TRUE CHRISTIAN , ask your christian missionaries to stop Conversions and give way for peace to previl ELSE THE THEROY THAT "EVEN JESUS IS A JEW BY BIRTH" will previl upon the your entire community.

[apolo]

Conversions are not the reason for the voilence perpetuated on Christians.Its unemployment and lack of focus - I believe we should help fix that. Their direction is misplaced with the way, these fringe Hindu Fundamentalist groups are fanning \ funding these groups to and somehow believe they are doing a service to India. And majority of the 2.5% Indian population are converted and live and exercise their faith by their Free Will - not forced. Freedom of Religion is a Constitutional Right for any Christian - just as much as any Hindu or brethren of different faiths in India. We should also understand there are countless NRI indians who are living in other countries across the globe and freely exercise their faith - Hindus\Sikhs\Muslims etc. Why this terror now ?

[Steve]

You may be right phoenix, but you will have a hard time convincing Americans the harm in conversions.

To Americans conversions is part of our freedom of religion and we don't see it as something the government should get involved with one way or the other. We see it as a matter of free choice. The person trying to convert gives the person they are trying to convert their best case and then it is up to the individual whether to convert or not.

Sure at times it can get annoying like with the moonies at the airports (though they don't do that anymore) or the jehovah witness people who sometimes come knocking on your door, but we don't see anything criminal in that.

But that is our culture and I understand it does cause great problems in your society. I am just saying why it would be hard to get people over here to understand the problem. To us it is just a personal decision which one can take or leave. It is part of freedom of religion to evangelize and then it is up to the individual to decide whether to convert or not and that is no one else's business but the people involved. But for you I understand it causes great problems in your society. And I am one who does believe in the "Prime Directive" when that doesn't inhibit our need to act for our own protection. And in the case you mention what the Christians are doing is actually hurting our national interests so of course I would join you in your opposition to conversions.

All I am trying to explain here is why it is so strange for us who haven't lived in your part of the world to see conversions as being so bad.

You could always outlaw Christian Missionaries in India.

[Steve]

By the way, what is the theory that "EVEN JESUS IS A JEW BY BIRTH"?

The fact that I haven't even heard of such a theory proves than in our society we see no harm in people trying to convert people to their religion.

[Edward Harry James {HYD)]

Well every body has his/hers openion on religion
lets not waste time who came first egg or chicken
Coming to the point,
1 Can any body explain what is forcible Conversion
2 To what extent can one force a person
3 do you mean a priest/Pastor man handling some one to convert him self Like the moghals.
4 See we are living in a Democratic Country and every body has his own rights to preach his religion
5 if you think we are forcebly converting people then its left up to you Cause Before pointing us think for awhile
when a person is changing to another religion it is his will why is he coming out of his past.
6 last but not the least our work is to spread the message
CONVERSION is the work of GOD

THANK YOU