Fr Edward, One of the First Victims in Orissa, Meets His Attackers

(February 7, 2009) Fr Edward Sequeira was one of the first victims of the attack against Christians launched by Hindu extremists last August in the district of Kandhamal is back in Orissa and met his attackers. The Divine Word priest worked for years at a leper colony, and in an orphanage for abandoned children was beaten up on August 25^th and the people tried to burn him alive. He was able to save himself from the fire and suffocating smoke while his young assistants, Rajni Majhi, was raped and burned to death. He met the 21 people were arrested for the attack on him and the burning of Rajni, and the burning down of the orphanage. Of these, 5 people were from Khuntpalli village, these were people who used to supply milk to the orphanage, some were his construction workers and mostly people whom he had served who were afflicted with leprosy, or used his jeep for transport. . They all told him that the beatings were very meticulously planned, and while some showed remorse, others merely shrugged stating that there were only executors of the plan, but most of those who had beaten him up were hardcore RSS and VHP people. He received a similar reply from the five persons in prison whom he visited with special permission. He moves around incognito, he has grown a beard, and can hardly be recognized, due to concerns over his safety. Fr Edward has been offered a mere 20,000 rupees (315 euros) as compensation for the orphanage. He completed the formalities for compensation in November, and yet nothing has been paid. Fr Edward is saddened by the fact that not a single person from the village testified to the authorities, no one came forward to given witness of either his assault or even about the rape and burning of Rajni.