Orissa Christians are 'Prisoners' in India, Says Ministry

HT: Christian Post - Please keep India's Christians in your prayers.  Thank you so much for caring!!

More than 4,000 Christians in Orissa still are seeking refuge in relief camps and are unable to return to their villages for fear of death or forcible conversion to Hinduism.

Though this number is down from about 50,000 displaced persons earlier this year, it is still an unacceptable figure given the government has had a year to ensure security for the Christian community in Orissa.

“These people are prisoners on their own land,” reported a co-worker of Open Doors who recently visited a village in Orissa.

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One year ago, Hindu extremists carried out the worst religious persecution in India’s 60 years of democracy. At least 120 people were murdered, 250 churches destroyed and over 50,000 individuals displaced.

The anti-Christian riots began after a Hindu leader was assassinated in August 2008. Hindu nationalists accused Christians of orchestrating the murder, but Maoist rebels had publicly claimed responsibility for the swami’s death while Christians vehemently denied any involvement in the incident.

Despite evidence defending Christians from any wrongdoing, Hindu mobs set fire to at least 74 homes and destroyed others.