Christian Forum urges the government to protect Odisha Christians ‎

The Christian Forum of Sambalpur district in eastern India’s Odisha state has sent a memorandum to the ‎state governor to protect Christians and ensure their rights under the Indian Constitution.  "We, ‎followers of Christ, are compassionate, kind, humble: we ask you to ensure peace, security and ‎protection to Christian minorities in Odisha," the Forum wrote to Governor S.C. Jamir.  The Forum ‎however expressed "profound gratitude to the administration of the district of Sambalpur for having ‎enforced the law, ensuring peace and security to the Christian community in recent years". ‎

The issue of Odisha Christians and their rights has come into prominence on the occasion of the ‎anniversary of the  untold violence they faced in the hands of Hindu zealots in August 2008 and earlier ‎during Christmas of 2007.  Christians celebrate a special "Day of Remembrance" on August 25, to ‎commemorate the massacres.  In the anti-Christian violence, whose epicenter was Kandhamal District, ‎over 400 villages were "cleansed" of all Christians; 5,600 houses and 296 churches were burned, 100 ‎people died, thousands were injured, many women raped, 56,000 displaced people in all.   According to ‎local sources of the Vatican’s Fides news agency, the interreligious situation in the state of Odisha is ‎currently under control, but vigilance is still needed, especially to control Hindu extremist groups. ‎  (Source: Fides)