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February 8, 2008

Orissa Christian refugees say they are now in an ‘open prison’

by Anto Akkara
Ecumenical News International

BARAKHAMA, INDIA – “Sir, we are in an open prison. Kindly do something about us,” pleaded Chabil Digal, a member of a Pentecostal church, from the Christian refugee camp in the troubled Kandhamal district of eastern Orissa state.

“We are getting food. But, we cannot go to work, our children do not go to school,” lamented Digal. Security personnel guarding the relief camp do not allow the inmates to move out, citing their own safety.

More than 1,500 Christians in Barakhama have taken shelter in the refugee camp at a dilapidated school building following violence Christians say was orchestrated against them across the Kandhamal district from Dec. 24.

Many attacks on Christian targets were reported across Kandhamal, but Barakhama recorded the worst incidents, with residents saying more than 350 Christian houses were set on fire and looted by Hindu extremists. That was after a Hindu was killed when Christians fought pitched battles with Hindus who had tried to destroy the church building belonging to the Church of North India in the heart of Barakhama town. Christians said they were forced to flee to nearby jungles.

In recent years, local Christians say they have been subjected to a determined campaign carried out by Hindu extremist groups led by Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati who has his base in the Kandhamal district. This is seen to have followed a substantial increase in the number of Christians by as much as 60 percent in 20 years to more than 100,000 in Kandhamal and now accounting for 20 percent of the population of the district.

Local Christians have said those vehemently opposed to them have regularly carried out marches threatening them to “reconvert or quit” the place as “India belongs to Hindus only.”

On Dec. 24, Hindu groups were said to have provoked Christians into a street fight
at Bamunigam by destroying Christmas decorations. On the same day there was an altercation with the Swami at a narrow road crossing in a Christian majority Dasingabadi village. The clash was over the right of passage between the Swami’s car and bus driven by a Roman Catholic. This was viewed as an “assault” on the Swami and triggered attacks on Christian targets during the Christmas period across Kandhamal.

Then the situation in Barakhama turned worse after Christians retaliated.

Local Hindus said, however, they do not share the views of the extremists, nor did they support the assault on Christians. Some of them later apologized to Christian priests and said they had been coerced to join the attacking mobs.

The government has started to distribute aid to homeless Christian families to rebuild their houses, but a CNI member, Binapackiam Digal, told Ecumenical News International that some extremists were preventing the Christians from rebuilding their homes.

“Now, they’re claiming we do not own the land where we have lived for years and cannot rebuild our houses on the same spot,” noted Digal, referring to local inhabitants known as Hindus. He said that instead of asserting the right of Christians to rebuild their houses, the government was suggesting they move to different areas.