Christians attacked in Orissa village, their houses set ablaze
From our correspondent
Hindu extremists recently attacked a Christian community at Gandahati village under Garabandha Police Station in Gajapati district of Orissa, seriously injuring six people. They also set fire to their 15 houses and the village post office, destroying properties worth Rs 1 million.
In a memorandum addressed to the Government of Orissa,
with copies to Director General of Police, Cuttack, DIG Southern Range,
Berhampur, RDC Southern Division, Berhampur, District Collector, Gajapati and
Superintendent of Police, Gajapati, the Orissa Chapter of the All India
Christian Council (aicc) sought immediate action to protect the lives and
properties of the minority Christians living in the village. “Now the affected
Christian families are homeless, living in a pathetic condition without food,
water and shelter. Therefore immediate relief and compensation should be
considered by the Government,” the memorandum said.
Recalling a series of major incidents committed against the minority community in the state, the memorandum said 111 houses of Christians were set on fire and reduced to ashes and properties worth several millions looted at R Udayagiri Tahasil town of Gajapati district in 1998. An undertrial prisoner who was in R Udayagiri jail was forcibly taken before the local Police Station and burnt alive. According to the Jagdev Roy Commission of Enquiry, such a heinous crime did not happen anywhere in India before.
In another incident, the entire Ranalai village under
RUdayagiri Police Station, belonging to the minority Christian Community was set
on fire and properties worth millions of rupees destroyed. Incidentally the
Jagdev Roy Commission of Enquiry was also set up for the same incident.
Surprisingly though six years passed, no suitable follow-up action had been
taken by the Government so far.
The last such incident that shook the state happened at Raikia in Kondhmal district. A violent mob ransacked the church, desecrated the altar and destroyed the church properties by taking law into their hands. The Hindu fundamentalists also attacked the Christian families and houses nearby. “It is due to gross negligence and inaction of the administration that such incidents are repeatedly taking place affecting the minority Christian community in that area,” the memorandum said.