Dear Congressman,

With a very heavy heart, I,      your name    place before you, the executive summary of the violence against Christians in Orissa, India.

Christians in Orissa have been targeted and systematically persecuted in an organized way by the militants of VHP ( World Hindu Council ).  VHP radicals allege that Christian missionaries attempt large-scale religious conversions by giving inducements to poor Hindus, especially of the backward castes who are a minority.  According to them, due to these inducements, the backward minorities caste Hindus are prospering, which other forward and majority castes of Hindus who are poorer, cannot accept.  The VHP extremists also fan the feelings of jealousy and enmity and thus further ignite the situation into an uncontrollable fire of inter-caste hatred.  This fire engulfs Hindus and Christians alike, and communal violence against the Hindus converted to Christianity goes on unabated.  Mob attacks undertaken against Christians by the VHP militants, have openly crossed, uncontrollably transgressed and nakedly violated all limits of civility, democracy, secularism, religious tolerance, and humanity.

On Saturday, August 23, 2008, a prominent VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, who led the anti-conversion movement, was killed at his Jalespata ashram in Kandhamal district in Orissa, along with 4 disciples including a minor and a woman.  Azad, a leader of Maoist outfit, People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, claimed responsibility for the killing, saying, "We killed Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati to avenge his villainous role in Kandhmal".  However, the VHP scoffed at the Maoist claim and concluded that Christian militants killed Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati because of his opposition to religious conversion.  The VHP thereafter embarked on a nerve chilling and a gut-wrenching attack on Christians aimed specifically to completely tear the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution into rags of shame and embarrassment, into tatters of vengeance and humiliation, and into shreds of religious intolerance and barbarism.

What followed was a massacre, a carnage, and butchery of the worst kind that puts not only the VHP extremists but all the citizens of India to utter and complete disgrace.  Christian nuns have been gang-raped and burnt to death.  Priests have been attacked with iron rods, clubs, swords, knives, country made guns, and murdered mercilessly.  About 46 Christians were martyred and 400 plus injured.  More than 10,000 Christians fled to the jungles to save their lives and are subsisting on roots and herbs.  Hundreds of village churches have been burnt and razed to ground.  Christians are targeted irrespective of age and gender.  Even children are not spared from these barbaric acts.  Christians are assaulted, humiliated, paraded half-naked, beaten up, their limbs mutilated, tortured, burnt alive, raped, and murdered.  By September 03, 2008, 15000 people were reported to be living in government run relief camps.  More than a thousand homes had been set on fire.

On September 1, 2008, Government of Orissa claimed the situation was under control.  However, 558 houses and 17 places of worship were burnt in the communal riots. 543 houses were burnt in the worst hit Kandhamal district. 12,539 people were fed in 10 relief camps, 783 people got the facilities in two relief camps in Rayagada district. In all, 12 companies of paramilitary forces, 24 platoons of Orissa State Armed Police, two sections of Armed Police Reserve forces and two teams of Special Operation Group (SOG) were deployed to control the riots.  BBC reported that more than 10,000 Christians are living in refugee camps setup by government.

The Orissa Government has completely and wretchedly failed to maintain law and order.  The Government of Orissa headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has become an outstanding example of complete inefficiency, absolute carelessness, and supreme ineptitude. On 29 August 2008, the Federation of Indian American Christian Organisations in North America (FIACONA) observed a day of prayer in front of the Office of the United Nations from 12 pm to 3 pm and urged Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to look into the 'naked violation' of human rights of Christians in Orissa.  At GoPetition.com, I petitioned the international community that firstly, the Union Government must authorise the Army to move its troops into affected districts where the local police and RAF have failed miserably; secondly, the Centre must dismiss the Orissa Government as it has totally failed to protect its citizens, even Union Home Minister was not allowed to visit affected areas; and thirdly, urgent compensation to the kin of the dead and the injured, relief and rehabilitation must be taken so that the tens of thousands of Christians now hiding in the forest of and other districts can return home. Government must rebuild their houses and also rebuild every single church that has been destroyed.

International outcry to the inhuman atrocities being perpetrated on peace-loving and innocent Christians of Orissa has gathered momentum and many leading organizations have come forward to express their concerns.  Pope Benedict XVI condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the priests and nuns being victimized.  He "firmly condemned" the violence and called upon Indian religious and civil authorities "to work together to restore peaceful co-existence and harmony between the different religious communities."  India's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh called the Orissa violence a "National shame" and offered all help from the Centre to end the communal clashes and restore normalcy.  Human Rights Watch expressed extreme dismay on the mob violence against Christians instigated allegedly by the VHP. Italy's Foreign Ministry called on India's ambassador to demand ‘incisive action’ to prevent further attacks against Christians.  The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) sought a report from the Orissa government on the ongoing communal violence in the state.

The situation in Orissa to this day does not seem to be under control and the barbaric acts against Christians have not abated.  Even now, incidents of violence are being reported.  VHP has become a militant organization and thus needs world attention. I urge the distinguished Congressman to look into this matter with profound gravity, extreme seriousness, and great earnestness.

Thank you.

your name

Concerned Constituent

Thank you.

FIACONA team