Orissa: Christians detained following violence

At least eleven Christians remained behind bars Sunday, February 17, caused by the Orissa violence instigated by Hindu mobs that attacked churches and Christian homes on Christmas Eve, last year.

Dibyasingh Parichha, a lawyer and secretary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar said, “Eight believers were falsely accused and arrested during riots that began around Christmas. In addition, three other Christians were arrested on Sunday.”

Parichha said the Archdiocese has been more successful in making legal arguments for some twenty one other Christians, who were recently released on bail. It also represented dozens of other believers and alleged victims of Hindu violence, including priests and a nun, whose case was heard Sunday, February 17, by a local court.

The detained Christians, who were accused of sparking Hindu riots, have strongly denied any connections with the incident.

Meanwhile, Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported of an Orissa riot victim suffering with Brain Malaria denied admission to a hospital, for being a Christian. On GCIC's request, the doctors admitted the suffering Christian.

"The boy who was under Coma since two days of his admission to the hospital is now fast recovering," narrated GCIC.

The Chief Minister of Orissa has directed the state medical Officer to give special care to the patient on the intervention of GCIC.

Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel for Asia, says he is terribly disturbed by the increasing persecution of Christians in India, referring to the Orissa violence.

“There is a lot of disturbing news coming out of India,” Dr. Yohannan lamented, “a place where Christians and followers of other faiths have lived in peace together for centuries. Today, the Christians of India are being persecuted in ways that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable.”

An estimated 2,000 tribal Christians are still hiding out in the forests of Orissa state for fear of their lives after being threatened by anti–Christian fanatics.