Orissa clergy must mend 40 years of hate’, says Archbishop
(December 15, 2010) Some 115 priests and nuns in the riot-hit Orissa state in eastern
India say they have to unravel 40 years of a sustained campaign by Hindu extremists
to foster violence against Christians. “The violence has been planned for 40 years
with hate-campaigns and seeds of poison sown,” said Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of
Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, while opening a seminar seeking ways to bring peace to the tribal-dominated
district of Kandhamal, the epicenter of deadly attacks in 2008. The archbishop said
the attacks were “a wake-up call” for the Christian community, which had not been
prepared for the onslaught. Only a small fraction of Hindus subscribe to the fanatic
ideas, he said and added “We need to make friends with our Hindu brethren, our neighbours
and our immediate protectors.” Fr.Henry Jerome, a resource person, said although
the future is unknown, what is important is to respond to violence with peace-building.
“Unless we start now, we would be late again and victims again,” he said. David Solomon,
Orissa head of Catholic Relief Service, wanted Christian leaders in the state to “initiate
peace building process as a response to violence.” The seminar resolved to start
peace-building and communal harmony process in village and parish communities. They
also agreed to initiate programs reaching out to people of all religions in a spirit
of reconciliation and solidarity.