Attacks on Christians continue in Orissa


Some of the destruction in Orissa
Photos from
GCIC
Even though a Maoist group claimed responsibility on September 1 for the August 23 death of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his followers, Hindu militant groups have continued to attack Christians in Orissa, India, accusing them of the murder. At least 36 people (many of them Christians) have been killed, hundreds of homes and churches have been destroyed, and thousands of Christians are reportedly hiding in jungles. Thousands of other Christians have fled to state government relief centres. There are reports of Hindus raiding these centres and Christian villages, threatening the Christians with violence if they do not convert to Hinduism immediately.

According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), on September 1 a church and 82 houses were burned in Mandasara, Kandhamal district and two Christians were killed. The Orissa Missionary Movement Church in Jeypore, Koraput district was also burned down, and a Blessing Youth Mission pastor was beaten up and his bike burned.

Please continue to uphold the believers in Orissa in prayer. Pray that, in their sufferings, they will draw near to the Lord, trusting Him to meet their needs (2 Cor. 1:3-5). Pray for comfort for those who have lost loved ones.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to the India Country Report.

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India Profile

Location
Asia

Population
1,189,172,906 (July 2011 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Indo-Aryan (72), Dravidian (25), Mongoloid and other (3)

Religion (%)
Hindu (74.33), Muslim (14.20), Christian* (5.84), Sikh (1.86), Other (3.27)
*For many reasons, the most recent census (2001) significantly underenumerated Christians at 2.34%.
Christian researchers in India indicate much higher results, even up to 9%. New 2011 census results are expected before 2013.

Leader
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Government type
Federal republic

Legal system
Based on English common law; separate personal law codes apply to Christians, Hindus and Muslims.

Statistics provided by CIA World Factbook and Operation World.