India – Church's push for justice and restoration begins

The Indian church is helping hundreds of people in Orissa to seek compensation for the violence they suffered during last year's anti-Christian riots.

So far the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar has helped some 650 Christians file legal suits seeking compensation for everything from murder to property damage.

To deal with the flood of compensation claims, the state government has reportedly set up two fast-track courts in Kandhamal district, the epicentre of Hindu extremist violence. Thirty cases are already going through the courts.

Meanwhile, on May 12 police arrested Christians in Chennarayapatna, Hassan district, Karnataka, on trumped-up charges of fraudulent conversions after a group of Hindu extremists attacked them. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that militants entered Sidda Vinayaka School, where members of Every Home Crusade ministry were holding a prayer meeting. The attackers beat pastors K.K. Ramesh and P.S. Anjaneya and falsely accused them of fraudulent conversion; they also beat three Christians and burned Bibles. The two pastors were taken to the police station and released without charge later that night after intervention by GCIC.

The day before, Hindu extremists targeted Christians at Mondakai relief camp, Kandhamal, Orissa. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that, under cover of darkness, extremists beating drums and chanting Hindu devotionals tried to enter the camp where about 1,500 Christian refugees have stayed since last August's anti-Christian violence. Swasti Nayak, a Christian who was standing near the camp's main gate, received minor injuries. Police patrolling the camp intervened soon after, keeping the crowd of attackers at bay. Christian leaders met with state authorities to demand additional police protection.

Across India Christians have welcomed the Congress Party's victory in last month's general elections, seeing it as a vote against Hindu extremism. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a humiliating defeat in Orissa.
(Sources: AsiaNews, Assist News Service, Compass Direct, The Hindu newspaper online, UCA News)

• Pray that the God of justice will uphold the cause of all Christians attacked for their faith in last year's riots (Psalm 140:12).
• Pray for Christians in India who are still experiencing persecution at the hands of Hindu extremists.