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Terrorism in Mumbai Bringing Attention to Long-Term Problems in India

by Staff
December 15, 2008

CARROLLTON, Texas, (christiansunite.com) -- The world's eyes have been focused on Mumbai, India, during the last few weeks. The news was filled with frightening images of the carnage from a well-planned terrorist attack in which nearly 200 people died. But the attacks in Mumbai aren't the only terroristic activities occurring in India-- they are just the most reported.

"In the midst of the horrendous terrorist attacks on Mumbai, we must not forget that there is another wave of terrorism gripping India," said K.P. Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel for Asia. "I am of course speaking about the attacks on Christians by religious extremists."

Just 957 miles east of Mumbai, Christians in the state of Orissa are still being murdered for their faith. Their attackers are Hindu extremists seeking revenge for the August 23 assassination of their long-time leader. Maoist rebels claimed responsibility for his murder, but the extremists chose to blame Christians instead.

The most recent casualties in this ongoing campaign of terror were two women--ages 45 and 52--who left their temporary homes in makeshift refugee camps to go back to their villages and harvest rice from their fields. One woman was hacked to death with axes. Her body was found in three separate pieces outside her village. The second woman was staying with sympathetic Hindu friends in her village while harvesting her rice. She was dragged away from the home and murdered. Her body has not yet been found.

The official death toll is 118--all of them Christians. But some estimates put the number of deceased as high as 500. Accounting for the missing and dead is difficult because many families were separated during the attacks on their villages. An estimated 50,000 people are living in forests, jungles and refugee camps.

In all, anti-Christian violence was reported in 315 villages in Orissa. More than 4,600 homes belonging to Christians have been burned; as many as 149 churches and prayer halls were destroyed, mostly by arson. Entire villages were burned to the ground. Thousands have been injured, including one Catholic nun who was gang-raped.

By pleading publicly with the government to intervene and stop the violence, this nun has unwittingly become the public face for victims of the brutality. She has been vocal in appealing to government officials in Orissa and throughout India to put a stop to the violence.

"Just as the terrorists who attacked Mumbai do not represent the majority of Muslims, neither do these extremists carrying out the attacks in Orissa represent the majority of Hindus," Yohannan said. "But the reality is, hundreds of Christians have been killed, thousands driven from their homes and churches and many homes have been destroyed. And so far, I am afraid the local government has not done enough to stop the carnage."

"Every day we are hearing about Christian pastors being beaten up and abused. The attacks are even spreading to other parts of the country. I am so grieved over this," Yohannan said.

The national government appointed a one-man commission to study the attacks and recommend action. Orissa police have only arrested three people in relation to the attacks. They are refusing to allow aid distribution in the refugee camps. Instead, they are insisting that the people in the camps return to their villages, even though the villages are largely destroyed and the radicals are waiting to attack them again.

The state government announced that it would provide financial aid to churches whose buildings were destroyed. But the groups responsible for the violence spoke out against this plan. They demand an end to all Christian activity in their state and threaten an illegal statewide strike that would cripple transportation and commerce in the state if their demands are not met by December 15.

The extremist groups are also planning demonstrations on Christmas Day, December 25, protesting against the police, whom they say have been slow to provide justice in the assassination of their leader. Christians fear that these protests will simply be a way to incite the people into burning down more churches and homes and killing more Christians.

The same groups attacked Christians on Christmas in 2007. They damaged buildings and beat up pastors and believers as they worshipped.

"We are asking all Christians to fast and pray that the state and national governments in India will act quickly to protect Christians and other minorities from these terroristic attacks of hate," Yohannan said. "We are also praying that many of these anti-Christian, religious fundamentalists would come to know Christ and turn away from these acts of terrorism against the followers of Christ."

Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

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