"A Plan to Cleanse Orissa of its Christian Population"

The Motives Behind the Ongoing Violence

To Stop Tribals and Dalits From Developing and Achieving Dignity

Verbite clergyman and expert sociologist, Fr. Augustine Kanjamala, talks about the motives behind the ongoing waves of violence against Christians — conversion to Christianity, education and emancipation allow Tribals and Dalits to escape slave-like conditions. Fr. Augustine, who teaches at the University of Mumbai, appeals to the Churches of the world to "express their protest to the government of India" which has remained "inactive" with regards to anti-Christian violence. He openly charges the Orissa state government for its increasingly explicit collusion with the pogrom currently underway against the community of faithful.

According to Father Kanjamala a plan to cleanse Orissa of its Christian population has been in the making for years, especially in the district of Kandhamal (where most of the atrocities have taken place) where Christians now constitute around 5 per cent of the population. Conversions by, development for and emancipation of Tribals and Dalits are confronted by Hindutva conservatism.

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