Today, August 25, marks nine years since the most violent persecution of Christians began in India, specifically in the state of Odisha (formerly Orissa). A Hindu leader had been murdered on August 23, 2008. Christians were blamed for it, although a Maoist movement claimed responsibility, but it was no use because someone had to pay. In revenge, enraged Hindus began burning down the houses of Christians, murdering, raping and displacing as many Christians as possible. Over 50,000 Christians had to flee headlong into the jungle where they lacked food and water. Over 100 were murdered, and later Christians were told that they were only welcome back to their homes if they renounced their Christian faith and became Hindus. Tens of thousands had to spend years in refugee camps. The Danish European Mission helped many of the displaced people get back on their feet. They were helped to help themselves, for example by getting loans to set up small businesses and gradually restore a normal life where they could also say that they had worked for it themselves. It was often the women who, as the most vulnerable, started these small businesses. Their husbands were able to find menial work as the situation calmed down. Several churches were totally destroyed during the persecutions, and the Danish European Mission also helped rebuild a few very spartan church buildings.
We're still helping in Odisha
The Danish European Mission continues to be active in helping poor Christians in rural areas of Odisha, including supporting sewing schools for young girls where they also learn how to use computers. One of the girls told me that she had never dreamed of even touching a computer! They also learn to study the Bible and to speak some English. This gives them a good starting point to get out of hopeless poverty. One of the girls I met during a visit to Odisha particularly impressed me. She came from a very poor family where she had to work making bricks from clay by hand. She also had to carry the heavy bricks and help the construction workers. She heard about the course and decided she wanted to learn something that would help her out of the hard life as an unskilled construction worker. However, after the course was over, she wanted to go back to work in the construction industry to earn money for a sewing machine, which she would then use to start a small business. She was very determined and didn't expect to get anything out of the one-year course, for which she was very grateful.
Still in need of prayer
The situation in Odisha is still affected by the atrocities of nine years ago and tensions lurk beneath the surface, although there have been no major incidents of violence since the 2008 pogroms. Therefore, we would urge continued prayers for Odisha, and especially for Christians elsewhere in India, as there is growing pressure from militant Hindus who feel that the current government is backing them in trying to stop the spread of Christianity.
