No school for Christian children in Orissa
ICC Note: This story shows another angle that radical Hindus are using to persecute Christians in Orissa.
by Nirmala Carvalho
02/13/09 Bhubaneshwar, India (AsiaNews) – Christian children in Kandhamal district are going to lose an entire year of school because of last August’s pogrom. Sajan K George, national chairman of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), said that hundreds of children are in this situation. After fleeing their homes with their families, forced to languish in refugee camps, Christian children from Orissa have not been able to attend school this year and soon the current school year will be over.
For the Church in Orissa education is priority as a tool for development and emancipation of the population.
“Many victims of the [last August’s] violence have said that when they were being attacked their assailants deliberately targeted their certificates and diplomas, ripped them up and burnt the pieces,” Mr George.
“The missionaries’ work with Dalits was one of the reasons for fundamentalists’ loathing and jealousy. Stifling our children’s education in Kandhamal is one of their goals,” he added… [Go To Full Story]
