Says Fr. Santosh, “It all started when, on 24 December 2007, our permission to celebrate Christmas in the town square was revoked. Our stall keepers arrived and were told that they had to go back home. There must have been tensions as well. Then two hundred men armed with clubs suddenly emerged from the forest and the violence erupted to torch Christians in Kandhamal district, Orissa. The Police and Government officials stood by as the Churches, houses and businesses burned. Burning, looting and deaths went unchecked for weeks. 1400 houses burned, 70 houses looted and destroyed. Thousands left homeless, hungry and hiding in the jungles. Forest was the only refuge for them. On return, they were forced to forsake faith. There was a ceremony of burning the Holy Bibles, hymn seats and Christian booklets. No Christian leader was allowed to visit them and no Christian Organization were permitted to do relief works.
The Christians were blamed for the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who instigated the attacks and carefully targeted Christians throughout Kandhamal District, Orissa.
The Christians were murdered without mercy as a reason of Swami Laxmanananda`s death which was not the only reason but the true hidden agenda is: in may of 2009, general elections will be held in India. The BJP – the Hindu nationalist party, defeated in 2004 by the alliance of the Congress Party and the left – is aiming at a comeback. And as the violence against the Muslims in Gujrat demonstrated in 2002 – inciting tension among religious groups is the most effective way to consolidate the ranks.
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