More church attacks in Orissa

Orissa's Kandhamal district continued to simmer as one more death was reported and additional forces were deployed in sensitive areas on Thursday in the wake of fresh violence and arson in the region.

Several churches and dozens of houses were vandalised as overnight attacks took place in the Tikabali and Daringbadi areas.

About 40 houses were attacked in the Shankarakhol area and at least three churches were burnt in Simanbadi on Wednesday, said Praveen Kumar, senior police officer in Kandhamal. Most of the houses belonged to Christians, he said.

On Tuesday, a mob of over 1,000 people surrounded the Raikia police station, demanding the release of Hindus arrested on charges of rioting.

The mob pelted stones forcing police and troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to hit people with batons and then open fire, a police official said. One person was killed and 25 people, including many policemen, were injured.

"After the incident, mobs have blocked roads at several places by placing huge wooden logs. This has made it impossible for the force to reach the areas," said a district police control room official.

To check further flare up, curfew was clamped in nine places of the district where 42 companies of security forces including Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force have been deployed.

On September 20, Ishwar Digal, a Christian from the Gatringia village was murdered by Hindu fundamentalists, who demanded his re–conversion to Hinduism. He was waylaid while returning to the Phulbani relief camp after visiting his ailing father.

Meanwhile BJP leader LK Advani on Wednesday condemned the church attacks and called for a national debate on religious conversions.

“There can be no justification for violence or vandalism in the name of religion,” he said, adding “Time has come for a free and frank democratic debate on the issue of religious conversions with a view to building a national consensus against proselytising, using methods of coercion or inducements or by vilifying any faith,” he told reporters.

According to estimates from the All India Christian Council, 37 Christians have been killed in the state of Orissa alone, including 2 Protestant pastors; more than 4,000 homes belonging to Christians have been burned; and more than 50,000 faithful have been forced to flee. Of these, only 14,000 are believed to be in refugee camps provided by the government. Tens of thousands are hiding in the forest.

Sam Paul of the AICC criticized the central government for its inability to stop the attacks, and called for a ban against all Hindu radical organizations, like Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal, and Sangh Parivar.

Violence broke out last month after Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was shot along with four others in an attack in the Kandhamal district. Although Maoists claimed responsibility for the killing, Hindu groups adamantly accused Christians for orchestrating the attack.