Anti-Christian violence in Orissa: now at seven weeks

It has now been seven weeks since the outbreak of violence against Christians in Orissa, a state in east-central India. A Hindu priest, Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, was killed along with his four assistants on August 23, and although Maoist guerrillas claimed responsibility, Christians have been blamed for the deaths. Since then the area has seen more than 50 Christians killed, dozens of churches burned down, and thousands forced to flee their homes.

Today the archbishop of Orissa, Raphael Cheenath of the ancient Syro-Malabar Church, issued a call for the state government to put an end to the violence. He claimed that the local police have conspired to stand by passively while Christians are targeted by rioters.

At times the violence has seemed to be dying down, only to flare up freshly. New fighting on Thursday spurred by the Hindu celebration of Dussehra left ten people injured, two of them critically. Meanwhile, eight people have been arrested for the August 26 gang-rape of a nun belonging to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, but the authorities have been very slow about bringing the case to trial.

Sources include "Orissa archbishop wants CBI probe" (The Times of India), "Orissa death toll rises to 52" (Catholic Culture), and "Three more arrested for raping Orissa nun" (Hindustan Times).