ORISSA IS IN PAIN

THE CHRISTIAN VICTIMS LIST

1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th, Monday,
after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in Bargarh district in
Orissa during a bandh called by Hindu nationalist parties. Twenty
children, who were at the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest
suffered serious burn injuries in the attack.

2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another person, Rasananda
Pradhan, was burnt to death when his house was set ablaze at Rupa
village in Kandhamal district.

3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS: During the bandh
inflammatory speeches spreading hatred against the Christian workers and
the community were given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support,
the activists have also carried the body of Swamiji throughout the town.


4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE: Churches were
attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh,
Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kandhamal districts as also in the state
capital, police sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in
Phulbani town.

5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal was beaten up,
while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal and Jitendra were burnt.
Several buses at Gee Udaigiri in Baliguda were burnt.

6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at Phulbani,and several
other churches at Phiringia were attacked and ransacked. Pastor D.
Tatson's house was vandalized and his property burnt.

7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in Kakriguma have
been targeted by the mob that reportedly damaged the Assembly Of God
Church and the Philadelphia Church .

8) WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World Vision India office
ransacked and the Staff has also fled to jungle for protection.

9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR PROTECTION: A police
camp at Barakhama was also attacked by the Hindu fundamentalists. With
several houses being burnt down and people being made homeless, many
Christians,particul arly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and Suna Tonga have
fled into forests for their lives.

10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar
diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon
in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of
Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.

11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the
Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from
the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre
was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a disheveled
state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was
then set afire.

12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August
2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the
very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between
24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery,
convent and hostel damaging the properties.

13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in Balliguda caught
hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.

14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning
followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic
Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.

15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the
Mother Teresa Brothers' residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed
once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.

16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP'S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th
August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the compounds
of Catholic Church and Archbishop's house in the heart of the Capital of
the State of Orissa . They could not enter because of the police
presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop's House,
damaging windows.

17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered
presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and
damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.

18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked
and his property damaged, vehicle looted and burnt.

19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also
damaged.

20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold's School (Kalinga
Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.

21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter
the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to
safer places. But nothing seems safe.

22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns' residence have
been damaged.

23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister's residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered
damage.

24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital.
Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.

25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.

26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in
various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College,
Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada,
Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.

27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest
hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia
(G.Udayagiri) , Padangiri, Tikabali.

28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is
more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was
killed.

29) PASTORS' HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh of the
Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.

30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor
Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.

31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship,
Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their
families.

32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians.

And It is also reported that around 500 activists are moving as
one group in Kandhmal District with all sorts of weapons like knives,
swords, axes, spears and even guns. They are attacking Christian
villages one after another, burning the churches and houses and even
killing any Christians who comes to their sight.