First monument to the martyrs of anti-Christian violence erected in Odisha ‎

Christian residents in a village in eastern India’s Odisha state have erected the first monument to honour seven martyred victims of the anti-Christian violence in the state’s Kandhamal district in 2008. Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, blessed the memorial plaque in the village of Tiangia on 13 February, in the presence of priests and hundreds of faithful.  "These seven martyrs," said the prelate, "are pillars of testimony for the people of Kandhamal and beyond. We thank God for giving us such men, who sacrificed their precious lives for the love of Jesus. Rather than give up their faith, they clang to Christ with passion. For us, they are a source of inspiration and hope." 

The seven martyrs, all from Tiangia, are: Fr Bernard Digal (died 28 October 2008), Trinath Digal (25 August 2008), Bikram Nayak (25 August 2008), Parikhit Nayak (27 August 2008), Darasantha Pradhan (25 August 2008), Dibyasing Digal (25 August 2008), and Dinabandhu Pradhan (27 August 2008). 

Violence against the Christians of Odisha erupted with untold savagery, with Hindu extremists ‎blaming the August 23, 2008 murder of Swami Lakshmanand on Christians, despite ‎Maoist rebels claiming the assassination.   ‎ Kandhamal was the epicenter of the violence against the minority Christian community, irrespective of dominations.  Some 55,000 Christians fled their homes and 5,600 houses and 415 villages were raided and set on fire.  At least 91 people died, 38 immediately, 41 from injuries sustained in the violence, and 12 in police action.

"These seven martyrs gave their precious life to bear witness to their faith and die for Christ during the massacre of Kandhamal," Fr Manoj Kumar Nayak told AsiaNews.  "The memorial is our little tribute," the social activist added. "We hope that their life of faith and their testimony will not be lost, but rather inspire others to live in a heroic way."  (Source: AsiaNews)