After communal violence, Indian Christians draw hope from elections
Indian society is being fragmented along communal lines, said John Suresh Kumar, of the Church of North India Synodical Board of Social Services.
According to an Indian church worker, the violence against Christians in the Indian state of Orissa last year was not a one-time event but the consequence of a fragmented society. However, the results of the recent general elections are heartening.
The wave of violence that started after the killing of a prominent radical Hindu leader in August 2008 - a murder that was claimed by Maoist rebels, but blamed on Christians by Hindu militants - reflects how Indian society is being fragmented along communal lines, said John Suresh Kumar, of the Church of North India Synodical Board of Social Services, speaking at the headquarters of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, on 13 May.
Kumar explained that Hindu extremists had succeeded in pitching "tribal communities in Kandhamal, Orissa, who continue to live in abject poverty" against Dalit Christians. These are slightly better off in terms of their economic status than tribals in this area.
Dalits make up the majority of Christians in most parts of India. In the Indian caste system, Dalits have been treated as "untouchable" due to Brahmanic ritual traditions that considered them "unclean".
Kumar, who had recently visited the affected Kandhamal district, said that nine months after the communal violence began, thousands of people who had to flee from their homes were still living in camps, lacking access to water and sanitation.
While providing relief to the displaced is an immediate need, churches should not stop there, Kumar said, since aid and rehabilitation can only be sustainable if security is re-established.
According to Kumar, the Orissa state government was indirectly complicit in the violence "or at least it has failed to punish the rioters". "Therefore it is important that churches speak out with a united voice at the national and international level" Kumar added.
He stressed the importance of outreach to tribal communities, making sure that not only the Christian victims of violence benefit from church aid efforts such as housing projects, so that divisions are not worsened. "Development action should be cutting across communal and faith boundaries."
Elections bring new hope
Kumar addressed staff from the WCC and other Geneva-based ecumenical organizations just as India completed its federal elections. The outcome of India's general elections will be crucial in securing peace and security in Orissa, he pointed out. Citizens in Orissa also elected a new state administration. It replaces a coalition that included a rightwing Hindu fundamentalist party.
As early results of the elections indicate a clear win of the outgoing secular federal government coalition over the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the general secretary of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), Bishop Dr Dhirendra Kumar Sahu, told the news website Christian Today he was greatly elated by this outcome.
"The BJP has been completely wiped out of Orissa," he said, adding that "Christians in Kandhamal are jubilant and there is still a sign of hope for them."
On a more sober note, John Suresh Kumar warns: "It is important not to underestimate the strength of the right wing forces on the basis of the election results alone. They may strike again with more virulence in the future."
The WCC has repeatedly condemned the violence against Christians in Orissa, including at a meeting of WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in October 2008.
Relief appeal by ACT International
WCC work in solidarity with Dalits
WCC executive committee statement
Congratulation letter to the re-elected Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Press release: "Christianity is part of our national heritage" Indian prime minister tells Kobia
