UK: Thousands of letters in support of Orissa Christians

In a show of massive solidarity with Christians in Orissa, a campaign in UK has culled over 20,000 letters that is to be handed over to the Indian High Commission there.

Part of the Faith Without Fear Campaign, the letters gathered by Open Doors and Premier Christian Radio, urges Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to assist those displaced and in need of monetary assistance in the aftermath of last year's brutal pogroms against Christians.

"We are calling on 50,000 UK citizens, one for each Christian who has suffered, to contact the Prime Minister of India and urge him to help our Christian brothers and sisters safely return home and practise their faith without fear," said a statement on the website.

According to Christian advocacy groups here, some 50,000 Christians lost their homes and another 120 killed in attacks triggered by the murder of Hindu leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati.

Although the Indian government promised to compensate and help in rebuilding of churches and homes, Christian activists complain that nothing substantial has been yet done.

The letters gathered from Christians in the UK while addressing these adversities, also requests the Indian government to "ensure that the perpetrators are tried and that justice is done on behalf of the victims."

They urged for investigation to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to speed up the publication of a final report. The current investigation by Justice Mohapatra Commission reportedly is to take two years time.

Vijayesh Lal, Secretary for the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, is travelling to the UK to present the letters to the Indian High Commission in London.

According to Vijesh, "the violence has diminished considerably now, but many people still can't go back to their homes for fear of being forced to convert to Hinduism."

"I have met some of the victims and it is heart-rending to hear their stories, but what amazes me is their resolve to follow Christ at any cost," he shares.