FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — At least six people have died in clashes between Christians and Hindus in the Indian state of Orissa, Reuters reported Aug. 27.
However, accounts coming into the Baptist World Alliance claim the death toll in ongoing violence triggered by the death of a Hindu leader has reached at least 25.
The BWA also reported Aug. 26 that, in the region, more than 600 churches have been demolished and about 4,000 Christians have been forced to flee from their villages.
Laxmananda Saraswati and four others were killed in an attack that reportedly took place Aug. 23. Police have said the attackers were Maoist insurgents, but some Hindus in the area blamed Christians. The government has closed schools and imposed a curfew in the Kandhamal district of Orissa, where most of the violence has taken place.
According to the BWA, the insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack. But that claim has not stopped Hindu fundamentalists from retaliating against Christians in the area. Saraswati and his followers reportedly were connected to the World Hindu Council and had been leading an effort to draw Indians away from Christianity.
News reports indicate that mobs have set fire to Christian churches and prayer halls. A nun died and a pastor was hurt when fire swept an orphanage in the Bargarh District. Apparently none of the 21 children housed there died.
In an Aug. 26 e-mail to the BWA, Swarupananda Patra, General Secretary of the All Orissa Baptist Churches Federation, said, “All Christian villages [are] empty in Kandhamal as Christians, old and young, sick and pregnant mothers [are] hiding in forests exposed to the non-stop monsoon rains without food.”
Kandhamal is the hardest hit, with at least eight Christians killed and almost all Christian homes demolished, he reported.
“I appeal to the governing authorities in India to intervene to save the lives of the many who are being victimized in the current crisis,” BWA General Secretary Neville Callam said in a press release. “Respect for the principle of religious liberty and the sacredness of human life requires nothing less.
“I also appeal to all Baptists worldwide to pray God’s protection for our brothers and sisters in Orissa.”
Orissa has been the site of significant sectarian violence in recent years. In December 2007, approximately 90 churches and 600 homes were burned in several attacks, some of which took place on Christmas Eve. Approximately 10 people were killed in the incidents.
In 1999, an Australian Christian missionary and his two children died in Orissa when Hindu militants set fire to their vehicle.
Orissa, which lies along the Bay of Bengal in eastern India, is overwhelmingly Hindu, but also is home to one of the largest Baptist communities in Asia. In the state, several Baptist conventions and unions affiliated with the BWA claim nearly 500,000 baptized believers and approximately 3,500 churches.
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BWA officials condemn violence against Christians in Indian state (1/4)