In Orissa, India, Catholics Still Live in Fear

Edit: while small but highly influential groups of decadent, aging dissidents fight to destroy the remnants of the Catholic Patrimony in the West, Catholics in the East are being slaughtered by Hindu Militants.

St. Francis Xavier, pray for us.


Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - Three years ago in the district of Kandhamal, Orissa, Christians were victims of unprecedented violence by Hindu radicals. The situation is far from being normal, as explained by Msgr. Raphael Cheenath, then archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar. And as you can see as much from the episode in a villiage in Betticola, from which Christians were forced to flee. The Betticola parish and the Catholic church were destroyed. The Christians, after being moved to five refugee camps received permission from the radical Hindu Sangh Parivar to return to Betticola, but as Hindus, that is converted. And the state administration, which should have rebuilt the church and parish, claims to have given the refugees everything they asked for.

"Religious freedom is still lacking in Kandhamal, the reign of terror, although limited, continues", says the Archbishop Emeritus of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, Orissa Rapahel Cheenath, three years after the bloody pogroms against Christians unjustly accused of the murder of a radical Hindu leader. On August 23, 2008 about 30 armed men entered the Ashram Jalespta, in Kandhamal, and shot dead swami Laxamanananda Saraswati and four of his followers. The funeral procession of Swami Laksamandanda took place in two days, over 250 miles, stopping at churches and Christian homes. The Hindu violence led to the destruction of 300 churches, the burning of more than 5600 homes and the flight of over 56 thousand Christians. A nun and two other women were raped and many molested. This despite the fact that the perpetrators of the crime were not Christians, but the Maoists. "(11/05/2011 24:51 Orissa pogroms: police clear Christians from the death of Hindu religious leader).

Raphael Cheenath is no longer the archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, but the situation in his eyes is still very serious. "Religious freedom is still lacking in Kandhamal, the reign of terror continues, even if limited, refunds are greatly inadequate, or negligible, and our people do not have justice. There are numerous attempts to criminalize the victims and unfortunately there are fears of a return to violence. Our people have experienced the inability of the Administration to protect those under threat of destruction. Fear and intimidation continue, and justice is still a distant reality. "

Link to Asianews...