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| India-Pakistan |
| India: Up to 50,000 Catholics seek refuge from violence, says bishop |
| 2008-08-30 |
| (AKI) - Up to 50,000 Catholics were reported to be hiding in the jungles of India's strife-torn Orissa on Friday as thousands of Christian schools and institutions across the country were closed to observe a day of prayer. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India, the highest body of Catholic Bishops, issued the directive for the schools' closure as peace rallies were held in various cities. Archbishop Raphael Cheenath (Photo), from the diocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar in Orissa, told Adnkronos International (AKI), that 80 priests and nuns from his diocese were among 50,000 Christian refugees who had fled for their lives. "There's a danger of attack and they are advised not to go home," Cheenath told AKI. "They have gone into hiding into the forests. "There are 50,000 refugees in the forest. Their houses have been totally destroyed, they have no homes," he said. "Over 1,800 homes have been demolished and another 700 to 800 could have been destroyed." The Christians sought refuge after deadly violence between Christians and Hindus claimed at least 11 lives following the murder last week of Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, in the state's Kandhamal district last Saturday. Several days of communal clashes have caused widespread chaos and authorities imposed a curfew and ordered security forces to shoot on sight in a bid to stop violent attacks Christians and their property. Over 3,000 police have been deployed in the state but attacks on churches and Christians homes continued and there were reports of violent attacks against priests and nuns. Bhubaneswar is the capital and largest city of Orissa, while Cuttack is the considered the commercial capital. Cheenath's diocese represents 24 parishes with nearly 50,000 Catholics. Cheenath, who spoke to AKI from New Delhi, said he had been advised not to return to his parish because of the risk. On Thursday he joined a Catholic delegation who met India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for urgent talks to end the violence. Singh has described the violence as a "national disgrace". Up to 30 churches and orphanages were reported to have been attacked in the violence that erupted after the killing of Saraswati last Saturday, allegedly by Christians. Bishop John Barwa, from the diocese of Rourkela in northwest Orissa 1,000 kilometres from the worst violence, told Adnkronos International (AKI) that many Catholics were afraid and his parish was being guarded by young Christians. "We have had threats, but they are only rumours," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #17 It's probably too late in the day to ask, but what part of India do you live in, Bertie Flaish8024? TW, I live in Dwarka. It is just outside of New Delhi proper. I'm there approx. 6 months out of the year and in Ft. Worth, TX the other 6 months. |
| Posted by: Bertie Flaish8024 (from home) 2008-08-30 22:18 |
| #16 It's probably too late in the day to ask, but what part of India do you live in, Bertie Flaish8024? One of the big cities like New Delhi or Mumbai, where there are many members of the call-center/professional middle class, or out in the villages where English is not yet spoken? I ask because when Mr. Wife worked in Bombay and Bhopal, around 1990, something like 70% of the population was described as economically uninvolved. I realize that has improved significantly in recent years, but there are a great many poor Indians even yet who are not qualified to work as maids in computerized households. Certainly my expat friends in similar countries used to pass their servants on when they went back home, because English-speaking ones trained to Western habits were very hard to find... and earnt considerably more than those acceptable to the locals. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-08-30 17:32 |
| #15 The very best, highly effective defense against persecution of a minority by the majority is a combination of gun rights, cultural militarism, and deep economic and military connections. By comparison, the Sikhs have long lived in India and been the target of persecution by both Hindus and Muslims, yet they still prosper. This is because they are middle class entrepreneurs, and the Indian military is officered by Sikhs. The Hindus may get the upper hand for a while, but the Sikhs have guaranteed their survival. And there is no reason whatsoever that the Catholics could not follow in the Sikhs footsteps. In fact, were they to do so, they might even accomplish an entente with the Sikhs for their mutual benefit. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-08-30 16:56 |
| #14 My old parish donated opver 100 bicycles for the priests and nuns and nurses to get around on, as well as building a clinic and small church building there, and helping to maintain the orphanage nearby. These peopel are grindingly poor. Yet they spend so much energy on killing those who would help them. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-08-30 15:43 |
| #13 The claim is made that the rioting started last week after a Hindu leader was killed. So why was there so much hatred between the groups that one violent death would ignite such a fire storm? Tribalism may be playing more of a part here than religion. What do you think? I think if a lefty moonbat(s) egged on by an intolerant and bigoted MSM and elite class offed George, John, or Sarah, we'd have interesting times here too. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-08-30 13:22 |
| #12 Bertie... could please pass along her cellie number? She doesn't have a "cellie", being illiterate, she doesn't know how to press the numbers. |
| Posted by: Bertie Flaish8024 2008-08-30 09:23 |
| #11 That's a per capita income of 108 USD as opposed to the overall Indian one of 978 USD |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-30 09:03 |
| #10 While the per capita income in the state is Rs 5,264, it is a mere Rs 4,743 in Kandhamal. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-30 09:00 |
| #9 Both groups are at the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder. The Pani are classified as scheduled caste (SC) while the Kui are classified as scheduled tribe (ST). Some Pani have converted and have lost their affirmative action quota place as a result (there is not supposed to be 'caste' in Christianity). They now wish to be considered ST. As true tribals, they will keep their affirmative action quotas (they remain tribal irregardless of religion). That would however cut into the quotas reserved for the Kui. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-30 08:58 |
| #8 The claim is made that the rioting started last week after a Hindu leader was killed. So why was there so much hatred between the groups that one violent death would ignite such a fire storm? Tribalism may be playing more of a part here than religion. What do you think? |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-08-30 08:52 |
| #7 Bertie... could please pass along her cellie number? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-08-30 08:49 |
| #6 This is a place where the per capita income is about 100 US dollars. If you're talking $100/year. That's Rubbish! I pay my Bengali maid servant Rs.2,000/- a month. And she only works half days for me, and works elsewhere. |
| Posted by: Bertie Flaish8024 2008-08-30 08:47 |
| #5 A lot of people in the West have been closing their eyes real tight and saying "The Problem is Just Islam, The Problem is Just Islam" to themselves over and over, without grasping that there's a lot of religion-neutrality built into fanaticism. It's virtually a religion unto itself. (Thugee cult is a good example, look at how many 'practicioners' were devotees of other Hindu cults than Kali, or even Islam or the SIkh religion, during the light of day in their public life). |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2008-08-30 08:34 |
| #4 Remember everything you've read about "root causes" over the past eight years? Well, a lot of it's true, and it's just as true about illiterate marginally-employed Hindu peasants in India as it is about illiterate marginally-employed out-castes in Pakistan. |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2008-08-30 08:32 |
| #3 They are fighting over quotas for government jobs, places in schools and colleges and government contracts. This is a place where the per capita income is about 100 US dollars. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-30 07:44 |
| #2 This is just hard to beleive (sic)... Not really. When you consider that the bulk of India's approximately 1.1 Billion people are backwards, illiterate and uneducated this makes perfect sense. |
| Posted by: Bertie Flaish8024 2008-08-30 07:02 |
| #1 This is just hard to beleive, but then again, Christians have been told to expect persecution for their beliefs. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-08-30 00:51 |