Hunger & Fear Grip State After Burning 90 Churches

As the calendar flipped to the year 2008 a few days ago, so also the continuance of persecution against Christians worldwide.  Thank you for joining us as we begin another year remembering and loving our brothers and sisters who give it all for Jesus.

Hunger, fear grip state after burning of 90 churches, hundreds of houses.

NEW DELHI, January 2 (Compass Direct News) – Orissa state’s Kandhamal district remains tense 10 days after a series of anti-Christian attacks began, and thousands of Christians whose houses have been burned down are facing hunger and fear. Pastor Victor John, who came to Udaigiri village in the Mallikapur area of Kandhamal as a guest speaker in a Baptist church on December 24, the day the attacks led by the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) began, told Compass that the atmosphere was still tense despite the deployment of troops. According to a memorandum submitted to the National Human Rights Commission on Monday (December 31), Christian leaders said that around nine people had been killed, close to 90 churches burned, about 600 houses torched or vandalized, and 5,000 people affected. VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati told media on December 25 that the reason for the violence was conversions by area Christians.

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