100+ Christians killed in India
2008-11-25 20:12
New Delhi - More than 100 Christians were killed in weeks of violence in eastern India and 10 000 remain in government camps a month after the unrest ended, a Christian advocacy group said on Tuesday.
The coastal state of Orissa was hit by attacks against Christians between late August and October in a backlash to the murder of a revered Hindu holy man.
"Names, locations, and more details are available for 91 (of the dead). The remaining 27 are confirmed by reliable sources but bodies haven't been identified," the All India Christian Council said in a statement.
Last month a national bishops' body said at least 60 Christians had been killed.
"About 10 000 Christians - mostly Dalits and a few tribals - languish in state-run relief camps and are afraid to return home due to continuing threats by Hindu extremists," the statement said.
Thousands of the more than 50 000 villagers who fled their homes were also still living in nearby forests, the group added.
Attackers in Orissa targeted churches, prayer halls and Catholic-run schools, drawing condemnation from the Vatican.
At the root of the unrest were accusations by Hindus that missionaries lure tribes people and Dalits - ostracised Hindu caste groups - to convert to Christianity by offering free education and health care.
The dead Hindu holy man had been associated with a radical group opposed to Hindus converting to Christianity.
Christians were blamed for his death although an extreme left-wing group fighting for the rural poor later claimed responsibility.
Christians account for 2.3% of India's billion-plus Hindu majority population.
- AFP