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.