Christians in Orissa to observe Aug 23 as Peace Day

(July 27, 2009) In eastern India’s Orissa state, Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar led other Christian church leaders to call for a day of peace and harmony on the first anniversary of anti-Christian violence in the state. "Since peace and harmony was disturbed on Aug. 23, 2008, leading to ensuing violence for several months, it is necessary to establish and remember Aug. 23, 2009, as a day for peace and harmony," the church leaders said in a statement during a July 23 press conference at the archbishop's residence in the state capital, Bhubaneshwar. The call came exactly a month before the anniversary of the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, the leader of Hindu nationalist groups in Orissa. The slain Hindu monk had been leading a campaign against conversions to Christianity. Though Maoists claimed responsibility for the murder, saying they were punishing the Hindu leader for mixing religion with politics, Hindu groups have blamed the murder on Christians. Subsequent anti-Christian violence lasted for weeks and months. The orchestrated violence left more than 90 Christians dead and displaced more than 50,000 Christians. In addition, more than 5,000 Christian homes and 250 churches and Christian institutions were looted and torched. The minority representatives present at the press conference told that they also want the United Nations and the union government to declare Aug. 23 a Global Day for Peace and Harmony in order that such violence is not perpetrated to any individual or community in any part of the world.