Like we didn’t have enough of the tragic Staine murder in 1999 that again we have the same and more incidents of violence in the same light. Burning people alive; killing hapless missionary victims and people working in churches; damaging churches and prayer halls; attacking schools and children’s hostels; literally holding the Christians in the state to ransom; evoking a sense of huge insecurity and non- belief in the country’s ability to protect its citizens; making them live in fear.
When the Staine murder was exposed, the overriding emotion that I felt was sorrow – hurt that a selfless man of God, one who dedicated his potentially good Australian life to helping and alleviating the plight of the poor, was burnt alive with his young sons in a jeep. This time around, there isn’t a public name like Graham Staine – but the number of victims is larger.
The tragedies are similar, if not more. A number of people have been killed, threatened, made to feel like second class citizens, countless are in hiding in the forests and atleast 2 people including one lady was charred to death while 10 others have died in the communal rage. Orissa burns, Christians are running for their lives. This time, the sense of loss trails far behind. In is place, is a growing sense of resentment and anger.
As a society, how can we sit back and accept this? Do we not have any responsibility beyond condoning the incidents? Do we allow the state machinery to take its own sweet time and still do nothing to ensure that we don’t see such tragedies played out in future time and again? It was already 48 hrs since Orissa was caught up in the flare-up and only then was the deployment of extra forces to curb the violence announced. The home ministry in today’s TOI talks of managing the situation in 48 hrs. How many more people’s lives are ese next 48 hrs going to cost? Mr Naveen Patnaik, CM of Orissa, what will it take to wake you up and get you moving?
Unless significant efforts are taken to control the situation and protect the fundamental rights of the Christians there; unless non-negotiable actions are publicly deployed against the perpetuators of such strife; unless we start asking tough questions and someone answers them; we will not have a permanent solution. Anything else will just be mere lip-service, a half-hearted attempt to overtly calm the frayed and angry tempers to a temporary numbing and gradual silence of defeat and forgetfulness. Atleast until it rears its ugly head once again.
If conversion were really the issue and the concern for the tribals’ interest been the root of the problem, the VHP supporters would not have attacked the dispensary of Mount Carmel Convent in Baligura. This was the lone source of first aid to the tribals in that entire region. At the very least, the VHP would have organized someone to restore or provide the necessary medical aid to tribals in the region. Negative to both, as reports highlighting the desperate need for medical help, come streaming in. So much for the saffron mobs acting in the interests of tribals!
Infact, Christians might as well get accustomed in Orissa to living life as a compromise, as lesser human beings. Amongst states with dangerous associations, if Bihar has its gun culture and gunda raj, if Assam has the ULFA and underground rebels, if Andhra has the Naxalites, then as a Christian, for me, Orissa has the Staine-rs – ready to kill, without a thought, without a cause, without any care of consequence or retribution. Exploitation of a religion in the name of protecting another. Mindlessly. I’m sure there is a Nemesis waiting to catch up. Till then, shame on Orissa!
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