Sense of insecurity among the Boys of Sunapanga Hostel after the recent Violence in Kandhamal Distt.  

The violence replicated itself in village after village, as the rural Kandhamal district of Orissa convulsed from some of the worst Anti-Christian attacks in India . The violence began after the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the 85-year Hindu leader, based in Kandhamal district, had for several decades opposed conversions to Christianity and five of his associates on 23^rd August 2008. Maoists reportedly claimed responsibility for the killings but Hindu radicals allege gunmen hired by Christians murdered their spiritual leader, a charge all Christian groups have denied.  

On December 24, 2007 at least 36 Christian families whose houses were burned during Christmas season violence in Barakhama Village of Orissa’s Kandhamal district in India have been evicted from their damaged homes. The tribal Christian families were still living in the houses, which were being repaired after Hindu extremists torched them during a weeklong spate of violence.  

Again on June 24, 2008, The Kandhamal district administration demolished the 26 houses in which 36 Christian families were living in Barakhama village in Kandhamal’s Balliguda block.  

Now the Church groups say more than 26 people were killed in the week-long violence in Orissa, in which Hindu fanatics also burned down or destroyed some 4,000 Christian homes, several churches and convents. More than 10,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes as violence spread.  

Since July 2008, The Church of North India restarted the Barnabas Boys hostel for 40 Boys in Sunapanga, Kandhamal’s Balliguda block who are the victims of Communal violence, unprivileged, poor, needy and marginalized but recent atrocities against the Christians and due to communal violence most of the Hostel Boys were in forest for four days. The sense of insecurity runs deep in them. Since the roads were blocked they trekked jungle after jungle without food and water and no money at their disposal. As many of them were left with nothing except the clothes they were wearing. All the boys had to starve and seek refuge in the forests. After spending and starving (out of fear) for four days and night in jungle they have been brought into the hostel and have been sent to their respective places and houses.  

Every child needs our protective care and loving pat in order to grow into completeness. Let us share with and care for those who would otherwise languish in deprivation, negligence and pass into oblivion without notice. It is the primary responsibility of the Church to ensure that all children should have a place to study and flourish. It is time to condemn all sorts of violence, raise our voices, untie all radical indoctrinations and uniting in peace and harmony, make a better place for our present and future generations.