Sep 2, 2008 / 10:37 am
Violence against Christians in the Indian state of Orissa appears to be subsiding after 26 people were killed and 4,000 Christian homes, churches and centers were destroyed by Hindu extremists.
Fides News Agency is reporting that local police authorities say the violence has tapered off after a curfew was established on Monday. The police are continuing to patrol public places, town squares, centers, streets and around churches to prevent the outbreak of further violence.
Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said this past Saturday that because Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government did not deploy government troops to the region, the violence has lasted for a week.
Catholic schools and institutions around India participated in a protest in opposition to the violence against Christians by closing their doors on August 29. The Archdiocese of Raipur, which closed its schools in solidarity with those under attack in Orissa was threatened by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for closing.