Orissa, a state of just under 40 million people in east India faces many development problems. It is one of the poorest states in India with almost half of its people living in poverty, it faces natural disasters such as flooding and drought on an annual basis, and now it is in the midst of communal violence that has seen at least 9 people killed over a three day period.
Orissa has suffered from communal tension between Hindus and Christians in the past but the current wave of violence has spread far wider than any previous incidents. The killing of an elderly Hindu religious leader and five of his followers in the district of Kandhamal late on Saturday night triggered the current violence. Despite Maoist rebels being blamed by the police for the killings many Hindu leaders are blaming Christians for the attack and as a result a severe backlash against Christian institutions, NGOs and communities has been witnessed over the past 2 days. Some of Trócaire's local partners have been caught up in the violence. Kandhamal has a history of communal violence, the most recent being last Christmas when at least 5 Christians were killed, hundreds of Christian owned houses and shops were destroyed, and many churches were attacked.
The entire state was brought to a standstill on Monday when a day long strike was called by supporters of the murdered Hindu leader. Fanatical mobs caused mayhem at will in many pockets of the state. In the capital city, Bhubaneswar, life was brought to a halt with all offices and shops closed and traffic forbidden to move. Anyone who ventured out risked facing the wrath of the mob and many people were injured as a result.
Churches and church-run institutions were and continue to be attacked at will across much of Orissa, not just in the Kandhamal area. The government has imposed a curfew in the worse affected areas and Rapid Action Force personnel have been deployed to several sensitive areas of Kandhamal. However, this action came too late for many. At least three people have been killed in the district and many NGOs have had their offices looted. One Trocaire partner had their office burnt to the ground and all their vehicles destroyed. Many staff of that organisation are currently in hiding as police have been unable to offer sufficient protection from the fundamentalists.
Reports from other parts of Orissa are equally depressing with churches and Christians facing attack. In one horrifying incident a missionary-run orphanage in western Orissa was set a light and a female employee caught inside the building was burnt to death.
Trócaire has been working in Orissa since 1999 when the state was hit by a devastating cyclone. We work with a mix of Christian headed, Hindu headed and non-denominational NGOs in rural Orissa. We are closely assessing the developments in the state and will work with our partners and other international organisations to help those most affected by the current violence.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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