India: Hindu extremists Burn One Nun Alive, Rape Another

By Nirmala Carvalho
8/26/2008
Asia News (www.asianews.it/)

All Christian institutions are now in danger because mobs of Hindu radicals are roaming the streets, breaking down doors and smashing windows, including Christian homes.

BUBANESHWAR (AsiaNews) � A Catholic nun was burnt alive by a group of Hindu fundamentalists who stormed the orphanage she ran in the district of Bargarh (Orissa), this according to Police Superintendent Ashok Biswall.

A priest who was at the orphanage was also badly hurt and is now being treated in hospital for multiple burns.

Another nun from Bubaneshwar�s Social Centre was gang raped by groups of Hindu extremists before the building housing the facility was set on fire. Sources also told AsiaNews that elsewhere one priest was wounded and two other were abducted. The list of violent anti-Christian acts is thus getting longer.

For the past two days the state of Orissa (north-east India) has been racked by violence following the assassination of radical Hindu leader Swami Laxanananda Saraswati.

Churches, community and pastoral centres, convents and orphanages have been attacked yesterday and today by mobs shouting �Kill the Christians; destroy their institutions.�

Tensions in the state are in fact still running high. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has planned demonstrations for today and tomorrow. Gangs of Hindu fanatics from the VHP as well as Sangh Parivar are roaming roads and villages, setting up road blocks, sending their own members on raids of plunder and violence.

According to firsthand accounts the archdiocese�s social centre was attacked and torched. Before that the attackers raped Sister Meena, a nun working at the centre.

The local pastoral centre, which has escaped destruction in last December�s violence, is now a total wreck. Father Thomas, who ran the facility, is in hospital with serious head injuries.

Speaking to AsiaNews Fr Ajay Singh also said that a nun was burnt alive in an orphanage she ran in the district of Bargarh.

Elsewhere Sisters of Mother Teresa have been attacked by stone-throwing Hindu militants with one seriously injured.

All Christian institutions are now in danger because mobs of Hindu radicals are roaming the streets, breaking down doors and smashing windows, including in some cases Christian homes. Many priests and nuns have had to escape.

In Bubaneshwar Hindu militants stoned the Archbishop�s residence, but did not dare invade the place because of police presence.

In Phulbani the parish church and the home of local clergy were attacked and set on fire. All local priests fled and found refuge in the homes of some of members of the local congregation.

The youth hostel that houses students who study in Phulbani has also been torched.

Some missionaries of Charity who were attending a health course in Brahamanigoan were blocked for hours in the village.

Elsewhere nuns left their convent finding shelter in some school buildings.

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1 - 10 of 45 Comments

shiva shanker
2 years ago
sure it is was the christians who tried to kill a hindu leader many times and finally killed him. in hinduism we dont kill leaders we fight but no way we kill leaders. if we had to kill leaders it would be like pakistan and africa where leaders are killed and a cough is taken over this is no no . a leader who is practicing nonviolent way should be respected. this is number one in india. it is another thing to kill a lower level person for political purpose. smearing hindus are easy and we had been so used with it. smearing hindus and smearing jews are just hoby for some people. sure we are did not burn alive a chrsitian convert in india all we are doing is reconverting becasue you did not use spiritual transformation in that person . and it is ok. if you dont use money to corrupt peoples heart and mind we will respect you . and christians in india has never done this before. even british did not do such follish religious conversion . it is some thing you should look into it
Caroline
4 years ago
Um, people, this is completely inhuman and no Christian should be saying it is OKAY!!!!!
Saien BC
4 years ago
Hindu extremists Burn One Nun Alive, gang rape another, burn the churchs , kill priest and Western Media does not even report?

WHERE IS POPE ? Where is Catholic Church? Why no one is making noise ?
Rasheed Ibn Jebba
4 years ago
You say the Hindus killed Christians & this & that? But what did the Christians do? They must have done something bad in the first place. It's an incident that leads to another incident. Don't be biased.
srihersh@gmail.com
4 years ago
This article tell only one side of story. please mention killing of hindu saint by Christian supported naxalites, before all this. Me being indian feel a lot of indiam human being died due to short sited politics of two religions, both of which are irreverent and outdated. No religion would have saved life of died people.
David Cook
4 years ago
It shocks me that no US media outlet has covered this. CNN is quick to point out attacks by a Muslim militant but tends to gloss over when missionary workers and nuns are being murdered and raped.

My prayers are with the Christians in Orissa.
Anjela
4 years ago
Propagation of faith does not include INTIMIDATION, RAPING, KILLING, or any other types of ABUSE.

If that is the idea of propagation, then the only converts you have are people who hate you in their hearts.

"...is caring only a way to induce people to convert?" We preach with more than our mouths, we preach with our actions. And if someone is drawn towards the kindness we share, that is only human.

If someone is repelled by the cruelty of a group, that is only human.

You know what the most amazing thing about Christians is? Its a complete irony. You can kill, rape, and even burn us, but if we have God we only shine brighter. The more people are martyred for their faith, the more people convert- including the executioners and rapists themselves.

NJ, the biggest irony of all is that you might be a saint someday!! Try looking into the story of Paul sometime.
anthony
4 years ago
if the hindus want christians to take over india, let them carry on in their persections. if rome fell to the Nazorean, who is india?
anthony
4 years ago
let us be grateful to His Divine Majesty for the persections in india. may the christians in india appreciate the gift of persecution. god makes good of the evil,
wisdom of foolish pride.
anne
4 years ago
The early Church flourished on the blood of the martyrs. The Church in India will be a holy Church with holy members, and the Hindu tormentors are, without realizing, the instruments of bringing this about. From this day on I will pray for all Christians in India and may God have mercy on the killers and rapists.

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