Catholic Bishop of Orissa: recent violence against Christians social, not religious, in nature
Malkangiri (AsiaNews) - The Evangelical Fellowship India (EFI) has expressed concern about the number of anti-Christian attacks against tribal people of Malkangiri, Orissa. It has asked the government to take appropriate action. The news was run by many media in India and abroad. However, Msgr. Sarat Chandra Nayak, Bishop of Berhampur, warns that this violence is not religious in nature, but related to social issues.
Evangelicals denounce a resumption of attacks against Christians the end of last year, with more than 10 cases during the month of December. The practice of "forced" conversion, as seen by Hindu extremists, is behind this new wave of violence, as reported by the EFI website.
But Msgr. Sarat states: "In the district of Malkangiri there are problems with Naxalite rebels on issues related to land, which are not due to religious persecution, as newspapers and media have reported." He adds: "Our efforts to live in a state of peaceful coexistence with people of different beliefs are bearing fruit. It is a slow process, the scars of those wounds are still there, but we look ahead and our hearts are full of hope. "
The Naxalite movement began in the sixties when Majumdar and Kanu Sayal of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), inspired by Mao Zedong, led a violent Santhal insurrection in the Naxalbari village in West Bengal. Maoist rebels, considered the most serious threat to internal security of the country, are active in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In late February, they seized RV Krishna Malkangiri, Malkangiri district collector and engineer PM Majhi, demanding the release of some comrades. After 48 hours, the rebels let go of the two hostages, without obtaining the release of other Naxalites.
Even Nabor Soreng, cultural communications expert and director of the National Institute for Social Work & Social Science, in Bhubaneswar, emphasizes the social nature of the attacks: "The violence that occurred in Malkangiri district are not against Christians. Unfortunately, the media have fuelled this story, only stoking tensions. This is political manoeuvring, games of those who have interests on both sides. "
The Bishop of Berhampur ends by launching a message for the Lenten season that has just begun: "The prayers of the Church in Orissa have turned to the persecuted Christians, particularly in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq and other North African countries. The unity and strength of our faith will accompany them during Lent. "
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