Orissa burning: 98 acts of violence in three days says GCIC

"Over 98 acts of violence against Christians in 72 hours," alleged Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), a prominent Christian advocacy group based in Bangalore.

Protesting the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, pro–Hindu groups barbarously attacked churches, Christian orphanages and institutions.

The worst affected are the people in Kandhamal district where over 300 churches and 500 houses were demolished. Several Christians have been paraded naked, nuns raped and over a hundred forced to flee to forests in seek of protection.

The most horrifying and gruesome event against the miniscule Christian community was the burning of a 25–year old woman to death and injuring a priest, when activists set fire to an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in a village in Orissa’s Bargarh district on Monday.

"They are still conducting the violence and the state Government has failed to protect the innocent Christians," said GCIC.

Demanding the immediate dismissal of the Orissa state government, GCIC requested the imposition of President's rule to ensure security and safety to minorities.

Dr. Sajan George, its President appealed to deploy sufficient Paramilitary/ Army to protect the Christians without further delay.

"Arrangements to bring the victims hiding in nearby forests who are staying without food, water and health care….To secure, well protected and guarded relief camp where minimum common facilities shall be available for the victims," were the other demands of the Christian group.

As large number of people defied curfew and indulged in arson, official sources said, shoot at sight order was issued in many areas of the district.

"We have issued shoot at sight order in the wake of large–scale violence in some curfew–bound areas of Kandhamal district," Revenue Divisional Commissioner (southern division) Satyabrata Sahu said.

In a bid to further step up security, as many as 12 platoons of Orissa State Armed Police were being requisitioned for deployment in tension–hit areas, Sahu added.

In order to review the situation in the tribal dominated district, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal is scheduled to visit the district shortly.

Senior police official said four persons were killed when the police opened fire to disperse a crowd which attacked churches, prayer halls and shops at Barakhama in Kandhamal district.

Two persons were killed including a woman when an orphanage house run by missionary was torched on Monday.

The VHP meanwhile has planned more attacks and demonstrations for today and tomorrow. Members of Hindu fanatics from the VHP as well as Sangh Parivar are roaming roads and villages, setting up road blocks, to stop police intervention said sources.

Following the naxal attack on Swami Laxmananda and his four associates, radical Hindu groups in the state blamed the Church for the crime and alleged that Christians killed Saraswati for opposing religious conversion. Christian organisations have denied these allegations.

There have been attacks on Christians in Orissa and other parts of the country in previous years. In 1999, a Hindu mob killed Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two children by burning them in their car in Orissa.

India's constitution is secular, but most of its billion–plus citizens are Hindu. About 2.5 percent of Indians are Christians.