Orissa: many people still living in slums following anti-Christian pogroms
Fr Sabhanayak spoke to AsiaNews yesterday at a meeting in K. Nuagam (Kandhmal) that brought together local Protestant and Catholic clergymen as well as missionaries and community leaders.
All of those present bore witness to the strength of the Christian faith in the state, which was the scene of anti-Christian pogroms between December 2007 and August 2008.
Launched by Hindu extremists, the wave of violence caused the death of 93 people. More than 6,500 houses were burnt or plundered. More than 350 churches and 45 educational facilities suffered a similar fate. Some 50,000 people were displaced, many of whom are still homeless.
“We stand by our persecuted brothers and sisters to protect and serve them,” Fr Sabhanayak said.
At present, “Two years after the anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal, we have been making efforts to rebuild the district,” he explained, and “have put all our energies and all our resources in relief, renovation and reconstruction.”
Sadly, Indian courts are not yet fulfilling the need for justice. Many witnesses and victims of the violence are reluctant to testify in court for fear of retribution but also because they have little trust in the fairness of the judicial system.
They probably have good reason for that. Out of 12 murder cases filed in the district court in Phulbani, the administrative centre of Kandhamal District, only three have ended in convictions so far.
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