Persecution of Christians in Orissa Continues

(05 Oct 08 - RV) Dozens of people have been killed in the Kandhamal district of India’s Orissa state, and as many as 50 thousand Christians have been driven from their homes and are living in makeshift camps, following the outbreak of a violent anti-Christian persecution in late August. India’s Steel Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan today said the situation has deteriorated so badly that the central government should seriously consider allowing the federal executive to take over police powers within the state. The Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar in Orissa, Raphael Cheenath says the state government’s response to the violence has been entirely inadequate and even conniving…