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LOOKING BACK Kandhamal, Odisha

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LOOKING BACK Kandhamal, Odisha LOOKING BACK Kandhamal, Odisha A Decade gone www. persecutionrelief.org PERSECUTED BUT NOT ABANDONED; STRUCK DOWN BUT NOT DESTROYED St. Paul “but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” – Jeremiah 9:24 On 22nd January 1999, India and the world woke up to the vicious and barbaric news of the murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons, who were burnt to death, while sleeping in a station wagon, by a gang of Hindu Bajrang Dal fundamentalists, at Manoharpur village in Kendujhar district in Odisha (formerly Orissa), an eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal. Graham Staines had been working in Odisha among the tribal poor and lepers since 1965. Infamous Odisha was once again in the limelight in August 2008, for the massacre and atrocities against Odisha Christians, which is still etched in our memories. Innocent Christians were beaten, killed, houses burned, Church’s burned, families scattered, children orphaned, and many who were rendered homeless. August 2018 makes 10 years since the catastrophic outbreak of violence between the fundamentalist Hindus and Christian communities in Kandhamal, Odisha, instigated by the death of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who had been running an anti- Christian campaign. Justice in Kandhamal Destruction Villages affected 415 Houses destroyed 6000 Displaced people 56,000 Churches damaged 296 Deaths over 100 Magnitude Number of accused named in complaints 84,000 Anticipatory bail granted 11,000 Brought to trial 3181 Acquitted 2704 Convicted 477 Life Imprisonment 15 * Source : Initiative to Justice, Peace and Human Rights, Bhubaneswar www. persecutionrelief.org Odisha was the first province of independent India to enact legislation in regards to religious conversions. The Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, mentions that no person shall “convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious’ faith to another by the use of force or by inducement or by any fraudulent means”. Christian missions have been active in Odisha among the tribals and backward Hindu castes from the early years of the twentieth century. Right- wing Hindus have alleged that the increase in the number of Christians in Odisha has been a result of exploitation of illiteracy and impoverishment by the missionaries in contravention of the law, instead of free will. Persecution Relief is an inter-denominational initiative, providing Comprehensive support (Prayerfully, Financially, Politically, Judicially) to the persecuted Church in India, also serves as the link filling this crucial gap, highlighting, influencing and bringing awareness about persecution that has increased exponentially, to India and to the world at large. Since 2016, Persecution Relief has recorded and handled over 1200 Christian Persecution incidents. Odisha has seen an exponential rise in the number of attacks on Christians. We recorded 38 incidents over the last 2 years. 2018 has already recorded 13 incidents till 18th of August 2018. Out of 29 states in India, Odisha is placed as the 7th most hostile State in India against Christian minorities. Seven innocent Christians are still languishing in jail since they were arrested on August 23, 2008, on the charge of murdering Swami Laxmanananda and convicted to life imprisonment, despite the claim by Maoists that it was they who had carried out the killing. 1. Bhaskar Sunamajhi 2. Munda Badmaji 3. Bijay Kumar Sanseth 4. Gornath Chalanseth 5. Durjo Sunamajhi 6. Sanatan Badamajhi 7. Budhadeb Nayak Please copy and paste the link to sign the Petition to release the “Seven Innocents of Kandhamal” https://www.change.org/p/release-the-seven-innocents-of-kandhamal?recruit- er=500089052&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink www. persecutionrelief.org Join with us to pray for the 7 inmates and their families: • Pray for the release of the innocent victims of hate crimes and their acquital • Pray that our Heavenly Father will comfort the victims’ families and provide for them spiritually, physically & materially • Pray that God would surround the 7 families with His angels and bless them with abundant grace, to forgive and be free of bitterness or hate • Pray for many such men and women of God who have been falsely implicated and imprisoned for their faith in Jesus Christ • Pray that God will call the ‘murderers’ to Himself, to be His powerful witnesses, to open their eyes to see the salvation through Jesus Christ • Pray for acquittal from all false cases, booked against men and women of God across India. WIVES OF THE 7 INNOCENT INMATES Persecution Relief family is privileged to provide monthly support for their livelihood, to all the 7 families of the 7 Christian men, who are stigmatized and abandoned by society. Please partner with us to support these families who have various needs, as the bread-winner is in jail. Write to us at [email protected]. Persecution Relief has covered their stories in the series “Ambassador in Chains” in our in-house magazine, Voice of the Christians. PERSECUTION RELIEF wwwww.persecutionrelief.orgw.persecutionrelief.org FFacebook.com/persecutionreliefacebook.com/persecutionrelief TTwitter.com/persecutionrwitter.com/persecutionr Youtube.com/persecutionreliefYoutube.com/persecutionrelief Email :: [email protected] HELPLINE FOR CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN INDIA 24X7 TOLL FREE : 1800-1234-461.
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