Worse Than Ever
Like many people in the eastern India state of Orissa, Nikhil Kumar Kanodia knew an attack on Christians was imminent. But unlike others, Kanodia was a police superintendent. When he declared that Hindu attacks on Christians in his district of Kandhamal would be prosecuted, he was immediately transferred. Soon afterward, Kandhamal became the epicenter of massive anti-Christian violence. Nationalist Hindus have killed, raped, and otherwise assaulted Christians, burned Christian schools, churches, and houses, and left tens of thousands homeless.
Nina Shea, vice chair for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said the attacks are essentially pogroms "to rid the state of the Christian minority." The World Christian Database says active Christians make up about 3.3 percent of the state's population.
Christians are often warned by fliers or friends when an attack is being staged, said Sam Paul, secretary of public affairs at All India Christian Council. Still, some are unable to get out of their homes or flee to the jungle for safety. Paul told CT he had the names of 36 people killed in the violence by mid-September. Since then, there have been several more fatalities throughout India. The Times of London called it "the worst anti-Christian violence in India since Independence [in 1947]."
Militant Hindus also attacked Christians in other states, particularly Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand.
Orissa made international headlines on Christmas Eve 2007 for a similar string of attacks on Christians, as well as 10 years ago, when Australian missionary Graham Staines and his children were burned to death in their car.
Anti-Christian violence "could happen anytime, anywhere" in India, said Stephen ...
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handmaiden
What is happening in India and Iraq is a mass execution of Christians that shows parallels to the holocaust of the Jews. And 60 years later the world is responding the same... the media plays down the atrocity and the Church is doing little to intervene. HAVE WE NOT LEARNED ANYTHING FROM HISTORY? Why isn't the world horrified at this extermination of persons based solely on their religious beliefs? I'm most aghast that my Jewish neighbors are turning the other way as if it doesn't exist. They, of all people, should have a heart for this type of inhumane treatment! How sad the state of this world and its peoples hearts that the torture and death of Christians overseas is being justified and accepted!
ABC..
i just wondered,why they(hindu) just attacked christian people? if they think that christian is not belong in that country but how about muslim people?do muslim people belonged there from the beginning? ehm..im sorry if i out of the topic..
Derrick
It must be important to clarify that the Violence in Karnataka was primarily due to state supported police agression on the peacefully protesting Christian protestors who were well within the confines of the church when they were barbarically attacked by the state police under orders of the right wing chief minister of Karnataka. As such if any stone pelting occured it is because the police who were supposed to keep the peace provided covering fire for Bajrang dal activists who attacked the Church. Christians are a very small micro minority in India and as such violence is logically very difficult if not impossible which is why we are conveniently attacked in the first place. May the blood of martyrs renew the Church