Time for rebuilding in Orissa

May 26, 2009

Anti-Christian violence in India’s Orissa state has left thousands homeless but there is hope on the horizon.

 With the sound defeat of the BJP, a nationalist Hindu group, in recent elections, there is now a good possibility for peaceful coexistence between the majority Hindus and other religions in Orissa, an Indian state that has witnessed considerable aggression against the Christian community.

 While there is now an atmosphere of cooperation that will enable the victims of the violence to rebuild their lives here, that seemed to be an impossibility less than a year ago.

 Close to 4,000 homes were totally destroyed and another 400 damaged during the carnage following the murder last summer of Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati by Maoist rebels. The World Hindu Council blamed his death on Christians, sparking the rampage that also saw at least 100 Christians killed, 50,000 people displaced, and more than 150 church buildings destroyed.

 We reported last fall on the violence that afflicted Orissa and other areas of India: “The days are getting harder for Christians as persecution grows,” wrote one of our ministry partners. “Many churches were burnt to ashes in Orissa and Karnataka. Bibles and Bible literature have been destroyed and many people have been beaten for Christ and even killed. Many people ran for their lives and are still hiding in forest areas. Now the Hindu people have targeted our state of Andhra Pradesh. They plan to destroy churches, Christian schools, colleges, orphanages, and everything that belongs to Christians by the end of this year.  This makes us nervous but we are trusting on Lord to lead us. When we leave our home in the morning we are not sure that we will see our children in the evening. Such is the persecution towards Christians.”

 And now, believers are beginning to return, only to find their homes gutted by the fires set by the rampaging mobs.

 Yet, the hand of God is at work as one of our ministry partners—Orissa Follow Up—has pledged to reconstruct many of the destroyed homes.

 “I look to God for the funds,” writes D.B. Hrudaya of OFU. “I trust that our brothers and sisters in America will be able to help us.”

The cost to reconstruct a house is $900… extremely cheap by our standards but a staggering amount for Brother Hrudaya.

 Fixing the homes is crucial to the villagers. They need protection not just from those who seek to drive them the area, but from the elements and wild animals. And now with the good start offered by the national elections, OFU is getting to the task.

Along with fixing homes for the returning refugees, OFU needs to replace 100 bicycles and 10 motorbikes that were stolen or destroyed during the rioting. These provide transportation for many Christian evangelists who bring the gospel to villages throughout Orissa. The towns and villages are often many miles apart and bicycles and motorbikes enable the missionaries to cover much more territory than they’d otherwise be able to accomplish.

Bicycles cost $100 each while the motorbikes are $1,000 each.

 Anti-Christian violence is not uncommon in Orissa. Attacks by marauding mobs in late 2007 resulted in thousands of Christians fleeing to the forests. Hindu militants performed forced conversion rites of entire families, sometimes at gunpoint.

 Even today, the persecution continues. Two OFU workers were surrounded by a mob which threatened to kill them if they brought relief supplies to the returning refugees. Fortunately, the police intervened, allowing the two men to head to the villages with their badly needed supplies.

 And earlier this month, a radical Hindu mob attempted to enter a Christian refugee camp under cover of darkness. One Christian was attacked before police intervened.

 Christian evangelism has sparked anger among the hardline Hindu groups. Christians comprise less than three percent of India’s one billion people, while Hindus make up about 80 percent of the population. Even though Christianity accounts for only a small percentage of Indians, its message of hope and love has helped gain converts at a growing rate. Ministries such as Orissa Follow Up are sharing the gospel and reaching out to the people with the love of Jesus Christ… and certain Hindu groups have responded with violence.

 Despite the ongoing tension and fear of further persecution, Brother Hrudaya and Orissa Follow Up are staying busy doing God’s work. They are currently distributing 120,000 gospels to seekers throughout the state.

 To help Orissa Follow Up share the life-changing power of Christ through Bible distribution, home reconstruction, and bicycle/motorbike replacement, click here.