Orissa govt: No compensation to re–build churches

Global Council of Indian Christians, a major advocacy group in the country, accused the Orissa government for refusing monetary compensation to re–build churches destroyed in the recent violence in Orissa.

Reacting to an affidavit filed by the Orissa government in the Supreme Court, GCIC said the partisan attitude of the government was apparently indicative from it.

The government was responding to a petition filed by Archbishop Raphel Cheenath in the apex court seeking Rs. 30 million as compensation to re–build churches. To this, the govt. said monetary compensation to any religious institution was against its secular policy.

“The Churches are the places of worship, where people from all religion go and pray,” Sajan K. George, president of the Bangalore based council, said in a statement.

“The state government has said the monetary compensation to any religious institution is against its secular policy. But the budget of the state law department shows items, such as temple establishment, performance of festivals, grants to temple administration etc,” George said.

The Christian leader accused the government of spending over Rs.40 million for the upkeep of temples in the state.

“Another valid document shows speech by the finance minister this year in the Orissa legislative assembly, in which he mentioned about the allotment of Rs.5 crore (five million) for a temple development,” he said.

“The state government is forgetting that the churches were burnt and demolished and did not collapse on their own, showing the failure in the part of Law and order enforcing bodies.”

The rioting against Christians in Orissa began on August 23, 2008 following the murder of a Hindu leader in Kandhamal district. Although Maoists claimed responsibility for the slaying, Hindu extremists accused Christians and burnt hundreds of churches and Christian homes in response. Over 50,000 were forced to flee to forests and take shelter in relief camps in the violence that has been condemned worldwide.