Christian leaders appeal to India’s Federal Government to save Christians in Orissa

(28 Aug 08 - RV) Church leaders in India today concluded an emergency meeting with Federal Prime Minister, Mohamon Singh. Prime Minister Singh travelled to the troubled region of Orissa to survey the damage caused by a week of  rampaging mobs who have targeted Christians and Church property.
Authorities are struggling to control spiralling religious violence in the region.  Today, despite a state government curfew and orders for soldiers to shoot on site,  Hindu mobs ransacked another church forcing local Christians to flee in a rural village. Between 50 and 60 thousand Christians are now hiding in forests, afraid to return to their homes.
Immediately following the meeting, Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack Bubaneshwar, joined us on the line from Orissa. He told us that the church has little faith in Orissa state government and so has turned to the Federal government in the hopes it will intervene to protect the Christian population.