Indian Maoists kill Hindus over Christian conversions

Thousands of Christians in India have fled their villages to escape a sustained assault by Hindus who have burned down dozens of churches in the eastern state of Orissa.

Telegraph | Aug 28, 2008

By Rahul Bedi in New Delhi

The attacks were sparked last weekend by the murder of a Hindu leader and four of his followers. The revenge spree by Hindu gangs has since escalated into one of the worst inter-religious clashes the country has witnessed in recent years.

At least 11 people, most of them Christians, have been killed, including one woman who was burned alive in one of several arson attacks in Kandhamal district, 120 miles southwest of the state capital Bhubaneshwar.

The violence has continued despite shoot-on-sight orders issued to police. Then Pope has also appealed for an end to the clashes.

The situation is so volatile that a government minister sent to the state to advise the local authorities was unable to return to New Delhi as it was not consideredv safe for him to travel.

Federal security forces are due to be deployed to help Orissa contain the violence.

The turmoil erupted last weekend with the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a member of the radical Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or World Hindu Council and four of his followers at his ashram in Kandhamal.

Police blamed Maoists insurgents but Hindu leaders held local Christians responsible for the crime.

They alleged that they had killed Saraswati for heading a campaign to reconvert Hindus and tribal people from Christianity.

For the theologically inclined - you may recognize Abirami as the Goddess of fame at Thirukadayur - and the story of Abirama battar. The battar was once meditating, entranced by the Goddess in Bhakti. The then king decided to test the battar, and asked what day it was ; and in a whim, Abirama Battar says, it is a full moon day (whereas, in actuality, it was the new moon day). As the evening approaches, Abirama battar starts composing and reciting Abirami Andhaadi, a collection of 100 verses. Towards the end, the Goddess comes to the rescue of her devotee, by tossing her nose ring (ear-ring?) on the sky, and the king sees it as the moon itself. The king realizes his mistake of doubting the battar, and asks for forgiveness.

For the naasthikally inclined (non-theological) - you may recognize Abirami as the name that Kamal keeps on mumbling in the movie Guna. Abiraaami Abiraaami.

India's Christian Bodies Demand End to Orissa Violence

Several prominent Christian groups in India spoke out against the recent outbreak of violence in Orissa State, urging stronger government intervention to end the conflict between Hindus and Christians.

Thu, Aug. 28, 2008 Posted: 02:15 PM EDT

Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter

"Thousands Homeless After Hindu-Christian Violence in India"

By HARI KUMAR

Published: August 28, 2008

NEW DELHI — At least 3,000 people, most of them Christians, are living in government-run relief camps after days of Christian-versus-Hindu violence in the Kandhamal district of Orissa State in eastern India, government officials said.

The government said that in addition large numbers of people were living in the open jungle, without any shelter and security, because of the tensions that erupted in violence after a Hindu leader was killed on Saturday. At least 10 people, most of them Christians, have been killed since.

Christian community leaders said that at least 1,000 Christian homes had been set on fire since Monday and more than 5,000 people were homeless.

Many of them are living in the jungle without food, water and shelter, said Father Dibakar Parichha, a priest at the Catholic church in the town of Phulbani. He also said that about 90 places of worship, including small churches and prayer halls, were burned down. District officials said the figure was about 20.

The Kandhamal district has a history of communal and ethnic clashes going back for more than 20 years. The latest violence started on Saturday night when the Hindu leader, Laxmanananda Saraswati, was killed along with four of his followers by unidentified armed men who stormed a Hindu school in Kandhamal.

The police suspected that Maoist rebels, active in the area, were responsible. But Hindus put the blame for the killings on Christians. In the retaliatory violence, 500 houses were burned. All nine towns in the district are under curfew with shoot-at-sight orders.

At least two people have died in the retaliatory violence in other districts of Orissa, including a woman who died when an orphanage was burned down.

“We are supposed to take drastic action against whosoever indulges in violence” said R.P. Koche, the district chief of police. The local police force has been reinforced by 2,500 paramilitary troops, he said. The district magistrate, Dr. Krishna Kumar, said the situation was tense but under control and more then 200 people had been arrested.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/asia/29india.html

Guru Drona....Suddenly, Arjuna felt weak.

Guru Drona. The learned Brahmin warrior. The old man who had both the blessings of Saraswati and Mahakali. The same warrior, who had granted Arjuna the power of wisdom and knowledge a time ago. The teacher of Arjuna.

Arjuna remembered all his childhood days. The first day in Dronas ashram.... The first fatherly affection and guidance, unknown because of  Pandus death...... The first tones of Freedom in wisdom and sacred Vedas, all learnt at Dronas ashram..... The first bow.....The first arrow....The eye of bird...Eklavyas sacrifice....The blessings of Guru.....The victory at Draupadis Swayamwar...The insult in court of Hastinapur...The Promise....The pain from where it began....

Arjuna felt weak in his moral strength on seeing the thin, frailed Drona. After all, Drona was his Guru. How can one kill a Guru? Guru is as important as the Creator, the Protector, the Destroyer.How can it be possible?

The confident hold on mighty Gandeeva loosened a bit..Arjuna looked at Brahma Astra. This as the greatest gift of the Guru to his favourite disciple. The ultimate protector in War. Any man possessing it was considered God. Drona was one of amongst them. How selflessly he granted the ultimate weapon to Arjuna. He had complete faith in Arjunas capabilities. More then what he had in his Son Ashwathama.

......Will I be a slayer? Am I a killer? What is use of a kingdom, if I will be a sinner? I will burn in seven Hells till eternity. Killing the Brahmin is a sin, that is unforgiven by God. On top of it, its Drona !!!! My guru. The first guide in this life after Kunti. Can I do it???.......

Arjunas mind was beginning to engulf in a major crises.

Krishna smiled to himself. The time was about to come soon.....

(To know the details of Oedipus Complex, click here)

Parvathi, wife of Lord Shiva, molds the form a small boy from a dough like thing used for bathing (due to non availability of soaps). She finds the model very cute and bestows life to it. The little boy is named Vinayaka. This Kid is given divine powers and asks Him to stand guard of the area where Parvathi was supposed to bathe. As He is created in solitude, the Kid knew no one except for his mother. So, he wanted to protect Her at all costs.

Lord Shiva, having been away to slay a demon, comes back and searches for Parvathi. But, the little Sentry on duty refuses entrance to Lord Shiva, mistaking Him for an intruder. Lord Shiva gets enraged as He was not being given access to his own place. He then interrogates the new Kid about His heritage. Glad that it is his own son, Lord Shiva, decides to test the Boy’s abilities, without telling Him who He really was. He challenges the Boy to a duel. They both engage in a fearsome battle and the Boy poses to be an equal to Lord Shiva himself, in all aspects. The battle rages on and Lord Shiva accidentally ends up cutting off the boy’s head which gets destroyed.

Meanwhile, having finished her bath, Parvathi comes out to find the lifeless body of her son. She demands her Husband to restore life to her Son. Lord Shiva then, asks his men to go and fetch the head of any dead person which faces the North. But, they manage to find only a dead elephant and they take back its head. Lord Shiva then joins the pachyderm’s head and restores His life. That’s how he ends up with an elephants head.

Impressed with the power of the Kid, Lord Shiva puts him in charge of all the ganas. That’s why he is known as GANAPATHI or GANESHWARA.

This is the whole story regarding the genesis of Lord Ganesha and it has nothing to do with any sort of Oedipus complexes and other psychoses. So, please learn thoroughly about something before you publish it.

Lord Vishnu Brass Sculptures

Lord Vishnu's mythology is given in the greatest detail in the Vishnu, Vayu, and Bhagavad Puranas and the stories of his two most important avatars, Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, are given in the epics. The history of God Rama of Ayodhya is told in the Ramayana. The exploits of God Krishna of Dwarka are found in the Mahabharata and in the Harivamsa, which is a supplement of the epic. The Mahabharata also contains the Bhagavad Gita which is by far the most important religious text in Hinduism and contains the teachings of Krishna about the correct path of life and the attainment of salvation. For millions of Hindus, the Bhagavad Gita is at the heart of their philosophy of life and a source of guidance, enlightenment and solace.

Lord Vishnu Statues

NEW DELHI, August 27 (Compass Direct News) – Three more deaths were reported today in the eastern state of Orissa, where a spate of anti-Christian violence began after suspected Maoists murdered Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples on Saturday (Aug. 23).

The number of people confirmed dead has risen to 21 on the fourth day of ongoing violence in Kandhamal district and other parts of Orissa. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that more than 114 anti-Christian attacks have taken place in various parts of the state.

“The worst hit are the people in Kandhamal district, where more than 400 churches, more than 500 houses and many Christian institutions have been demolished,” GCIC President Dr. Sajan K. George said in a memorandum to the state governor. “The people have fled to jungles for safety.”

The Rev. Dr. Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, told Compass that Christians in Orissa were living in fear and anxiety.

“The law enforcing agencies have not been able to contain the violent elements that are still at large,” he said. “The violent mobs are destroying churches, orphanages, hostels of children, convents of religious women and houses of Christian families. There appears a sense of helplessness among the Christian community that has borne the brunt of the communal frenzy created by some fundamentalist organizations.”

Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported that three more bodies were recovered today. One body was discovered from Phiringia area and another from Raikia in Kandhamal.

“One of them had died on Monday and the other on Tuesday – both died after mobs attacked them,” Kandhamal district collector Kishan Kumar told IANS. “A third person was rescued in a critical condition, but died on Tuesday night in the hospital.”

The state administration, however, claimed far fewer casualties. “Only seven bodies have been recovered thus far,” Deputy Inspector General of Police R.P. Koche told Compass.

‘Shoot-at-Sight’ Orders

Mobs were burning Christian houses in Gadavisa village, around three kilometers (nearly two miles) from Udayagiri in Kandhamal, a local source requesting anonymity told Compass at press time.

IANS reported that mobs defied curfew, blocked roads and attacked churches in Kandhamal even after police issued shoot-at-sight orders to control the situation, as trouble spread to other areas with incidents of violence reported in Sundergarh, Gajapati and Rayaagada districts.

“We have given orders to shoot-at-sight anybody defying curfew and indulging in violence,” Revenue Divisional Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu told IANS.

The news agency also said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik informed the state assembly today that different police stations had registered a total of at least 70 cases and arrested 54 people in connection with attacks.

According to The Hindu newspaper, Patnaik claimed that violence was under control.

The Rt. Rev. Sunil K. Singh, bishop of the Church of North India, told Compass, “The situation in Orissa is far too worrisome and delicate. There has been a total break down of law and order resulting from barbaric communal attacks by anti Christian elements on innocent and peace loving Christians, their priests, nuns, religious workers, their churches and organizations.”

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) called for “immediate” intervention of the federal government on the “outrageous communal violence in Orissa.”

“Reports of violence against a minority community are outrageous,” IANS quoted NCM Chairperson Mohammad Shafi Qureshi as saying. “Efforts must be made to rein in violence, and the [government] must intervene effectively to restore peace in the state.”

The panel also sought a comprehensive report from the Orissa government over incidents of violence and arson that have claimed lives and damaged or destroyed churches and properties.

“We will also send our own delegation to the state to take stock of ground realities,” Qureshi said.

According to a report by Christian Legal Association, the Orissa High Court today passed an order asking the state government to deploy army personnel to ensure that victims are given compensation and are properly rehabilitated.

The court order came in response to a public interest litigation filed by attorney Collin Gonsalves of the Human Rights Law Network, a non-profit organization, on behalf of local Christians.

No-Confidence Motion

In view of the uncontrolled violence, the state legislative assembly yesterday accepted a no-confidence motion by the opposition Congress Party against the ruling coalition of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and the Biju Janata Dal party, a regional party that claims to be secular.

Discussion on the no-confidence motion is expected to be held on Friday (August 29), reported NDTV 24X7 news channel.

About 30 armed men with sophisticated rifles and AK-47s attacked Saraswati’s ashram (religious center) in the Jalespata area in Kandhamal’s Tumudiband Block on Saturday (August 23). A warning letter found at the Saraswati religious center and the use of expensive arms suggested Maoists were behind the attack, and police have reportedly said the Maoist rebels are responsible for the murders of the Hindu leaders.

Violence erupted the next day when Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists paraded the body of Saraswati throughout nearby villages, whipping up anger and mobilizing crowds against Christians, in uncontested defiance of a Kandhamal district administration prohibition against the gathering of four or more people.

Among the slogans shouted was, “Kill Christians and destroy their institutions.”

Saraswati allegedly incited the attacks on Christians and their property in Kandhamal last Christmas season. The violence lasted for more than a week beginning December 24, killing at least four Christians and burning 730 houses and 95 churches.

The 2007 attacks were allegedly carried out mainly by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) extremists under the pretext of avenging an alleged attack on Saraswati by local Christians. Hundreds of Christians were displaced by the violence in Kandhamal, and they are still in various relief camps set up by the state government.

Christians make up 2.4 percent of Orissa’s population, or 897,861 of the 36.7 million people.

Report from Compass Direct News

NEW DELHI, August 26 (Compass Direct News) – At least 18 people are confirmed dead in 92 incidents of violence against Christians since suspected Maoists murdered Hindu leader Swamiji Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others on Saturday (Aug. 23) in Orissa state.

With Hindu extremists inciting hatred by heated accusations that Christians killed Saraswati, the national newspaper Hindu reported today that nine people had been killed in Orissa violence, and a Compass source near the state capital of Bhubaneswar confirmed an additional nine people slain.

The death count by the Hindu included four people killed in the Barakhama area. News agencies had earlier confirmed three dead in Raikia and two others, including a woman, killed in Bargarh, where a missionary-run orphanage was set on fire yesterday. The figure of 92 incidents thus far comes from the Global Council of Indian Christians.

Additionally, the Compass source said that Hindu extremists today killed pastor Samuel Naik of the Bakingia Seventh-Day Adventist Church at Kandhamal, and Jacob Digal and Gopan Naik of Damba village were slain this morning. Also killed today was Golok Naik of Pidinanju village (under Mondakia police station), and yesterday pastor Mukunda Bardhan from Mukundapur, Gajapati was burned to death.

Three other people whose names have not yet been verified, said the source, were killed in Katingia village of G. Udaygiri, along with a pastor belonging to Operation Mobilization from the same area. In Badimunda, about 12 kilometers (seven miles) from G. Udaygiri, nearly 25 Christian homes were burned down.

There were many reports of Christians being pulled from their homes and killed or beaten, with many homes of Christians torched in Baliguda. According to reports by the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), the East India office of Compassion International in Bhubaneswar was ransacked.

Saraswati and four others were killed by suspected Maoists in the swami’s ashram, or religious center, in the Jalespata area of Kandhamal district’s Tumudiband Block in Orissa state. A warning letter found at the Saraswati religious center and use of expensive arms suggested Maoists were behind the attack.

In a state with a strong Maoist presence, police reportedly said they have evidence to link the communist rebels to the murders of Saraswati and his four associates. One police theory is that Maoists would attack Hindu leaders in a misguided effort to gain support among area tribal people, many of whom have converted to Christianity.

On Sunday (Aug. 24) the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a partner in the state’s ruling coalition, and the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) called for 12-hour a shut-down in which inflammatory speeches were made accusing Christians of killing Saraswati.

Authorities in Denial

Orissa Police Chief Gopal Chandra Nanda downplayed the violence, telling Reuters that incidents were only “sporadic” and that “some prayer houses have been attacked and vehicles have been burnt.”

Likewise, local authorities and media have painted the shutdown as “peaceful,” denying that organized attacks took place. The state is ruled by a coalition of the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal party.

At the same time, Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists have continued to incite hatred against Christians and criticized the local government. VHP Secretary General Pravin Tagodia accused the state government of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of acting like a “eunuch” and demanded his apology for the killing of Saraswati and his companions.

“Christians murdered Swamiji, but the government is lying and giving it a Maoist color,” Tagodia said. “Naveen as an individual and police, in particular, are responsible for this attack orchestrated by the church on Hindu dharma.’’

At the same time, a senior leader from Christian relief and development organization World Vision told Compass that a news report about the arrest of their staff members in connection with Saraswati’s killing was false. The police had merely kept two of their employees for protection, he said.

“No complaint had been lodged against them,” he said. “The employees have safely reached their homes.”

Widespread Violence

Sources from Kandhamal district said hundreds of Christians along with their families have fled to the nearby forests to save their lives in the rainy climate and are without shelter, food and clothing.

“Three adults and one child were reportedly killed in fresh violence in Barakhama, Kandhamal,” EFI News reported.

At least 14 Christians have been killed in Kandhamal, according to the news agency: Hacked to death by a rampaging mob of Hindu extremists were two Christians in Mutungia village, one in Petaponga village, one in Borimunda village, three in Katinga village, three in Tianga village, three in Adikuppa village and one in Bakingia village.

According to reports received from Kalahandi district, many incidents of violence and house burning have taken place even though it is more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the place where Saraswati was killed.

Christian sources said pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission was beaten and his house was burned in Bhawanipatna. In Kharihar, three Christian shops were looted and burned. Pastor Alok Das was beaten at Kharihar, as was pastor I.M. Senapati. In Aampani, pastor David Diamond Pahar was beaten by more than 200 people. They chased him away from Aampani, and he is hiding in nearby villages.

Pastor Pravin Ship and two other area pastor identified only as Pradhan and Barik were beaten and chased away with their families. In Naktikani, an angry mob surrounded the village to attack Christians. The government sent forces to try to control the mob but without success.

Christian Pleas

A delegation of Christian leaders in New Delhi met with Home Minister Shivraj Patil to brief him of the situation and to register their concern. Patil assured the Christian delegation, including the Rev. Dr. Richard Howell, general secretary of EFI, and Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India of the central government’s support in curbing violence against Christians in the state.

Another delegation led by Orissa state Christian leaders met Gov. Rameshwar Thakur with the same objectives. The Rt. Rev. Samson Das and attorney Bibhu Dutta Das were also among those who met with the Orissa governor today.

In Kolkata, the All-India Minority Forum today condemned the attack on churches in Orissa and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Patnaik for his “failure” to protect religious minorities in his state.

“We condemn in unequivocal terms the incident of burning alive people who belong to the Christian community by Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists, and armed attacks on churches in Orissa,” Forum President Idris Ali said.

‘Kill Christians’

The violence has spread even though church leaders across the country condemned the Hindu priest’s killing and appealed for peace.

The VHP and its allies had called for a 12-hour shutdown to protest the killing of the swami, and Christian leaders expected Hindu mobs would use it to mobilize strikes at the Christian community.

“But what has taken place has even surpassed what we expected,” said one pastor who wished to remain anonymous.

Hindu extremists paraded the body of Saraswati throughout nearby villages, whipping up anger and mobilizing crowds against Christians, in uncontested defiance of a Kandhamal district administration prohibition against the gathering of four or more people. Among the slogans shouted was, “Kill Christians and destroy their institutions.”

In spite of an Orissa state-imposed curfew, crowds violated restrictions and proceeded to attack Christian communities throughout the state. Compass has received reports that the violence has spread to the districts of Gajapati, Phulbani, Nuaparha, Kalahandi, Rayagada and Koraput.

The Orissa Legislative Assembly was disturbed for the second consecutive day at the various calls for the resignation of Chief Minister Patnaik.

Christians make up 2.4 percent of Orissa’s population, or 897,861 of the total 36.7 million people.  

Report from Compass Direct News

NEW DELHI, August 25 (Compass Direct News) – The killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) leader Swamiji Laxmanananda Saraswati and four associates by suspected Maoists on Saturday night (August 23) led to renewed anti-Christian attacks in Orissa state, with churches torched and two people burned alive.

Accusing local Christians of killing their leader, Hindu extremists set an orphanage on fire in Khuntapali village in Barhgarh district, burning a Catholic nun to death, according to the All India Christian Council. The attack on the orphanage in Khuntapali, 250 miles west of the state capital of Bhubaneswar, also left a priest at the orphanage hospitalized with severe burns.

Over the weekend, VHP extremists in Nuagon, Kandhamal district burned alive a man suffering from paralysis, whose identity and religious affiliation were still unknown at press time, and assaulted pastors.

The Indian Express reported that a mob torched a house in Nuagaon near Pasara outpost in Chakapada area last night. The paralytic man stranded inside the house reportedly burned to death.

The Hindu extremists also launched arson attacks on at least 10 churches, several prayer houses, shops and vehicles in various parts of the eastern state.

Numerous Christians have fled to jungles to save their lives, according to the AICC, which has written to the federal internal minister demanding security for the community.

Saraswati allegedly incited the attacks on Christians and their property in Kandhamal during last Christmas season. The violence lasted for more than a week beginning December 24, and killed at least four Christians and burned 730 houses and 95 churches.

The attacks were allegedly carried out mainly by VHP extremists under the pretext of avenging an alleged attack on Saraswati by local Christians. Hundreds of Christians were displaced by the violence in Kandhamal, and they are still in various relief camps set up by the state government.

Maoists Suspected

At around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday (August 23), around 30 armed men carrying sophisticated rifles and AK-47s launched an attack on Saraswati’s ashram (religious center) in the Jalespata area in Kandhamal’s Tumudiband Block, killing five people, including Saraswati, reported CNN-IBN news channel.

A warning letter found at the Saraswati religious center and the use of expensive arms suggested Maoists were behind the attack. Christian groups, including the Global Council of Indian Christians, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, the AICC, and the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) condemned the killing of Saraswati and his associates.

The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a partner in the state’s ruling coalition led by the Biju Janata Dal party, and the VHP called for 12-hour a strike in which inflammatory speeches were made accusing Christians of killing Saraswati.

“Swamiji [Saraswati] was opposed to religious conversion taking place in various parts of Orissa,” BJP state leader Suresh Pujari told Press Trust of India. “Those opposed to Swamiji’s anti-conversion activities killed him.”

On Sunday, the Kandhamal district administration imposed a curfew in all sensitive areas in Kandhamal and issued orders prohibiting the gathering of four or more people throughout the district.

All borders of the district were also sealed. Defying the orders, VHP extremists took Saraswati’s funeral procession from the Jalespata religious center to the main ashram in Chakapada, covering around 70 kilometers (44 miles), apparently to incite violence. According to media reports, they launched attacks on Christian institutions along the way.

“A large number of supporters of Laxmanananda entered the district headquarter town of Phulbani in violation of curfew restrictions on their way to Chakapada and targeted churches and houses,” Kandhamal District Collector (administrative head) Krishan Kumar told The Indian Express newspaper.

Numerous Attacks

The newspaper also reported that two police officers suffered injuries when they tried to prevent the mob from attacking churches, prayer halls, houses and vehicles on the route of the procession.

Eyewitnesses told the newspaper that a Baptist church and its parsonage, a Roman Catholic church, three houses and some vehicles were attacked by the extremists in Phulbani town, the district headquarters. Nine shops and two vehicles were also torched in Raikia, and two jeeps in Udayagiri.

In Nuagaon, Kandhamal district, Hindu extremists reportedly gang-raped a young Catholic nun of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar diocese working with the Jan Vikas Kendra social service center before destroying the building.

John Dayal of the AICC reported that less than a kilometer away from the social service center, a senior priest and nun were injured when Hindu extremists attacked the facility. Calling for their blood, Hindu extremists took the director of the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Kanjimendi, known only as Father Thomas, and a nun to a local police station, then set the center on fire.

The Pioneer newspaper reported that VHP extremists burned a small thatched prayer house on Saturday night in Tentulijhari area in Sundargarh district.

EFI reported that pastor Jeebaratna Lima of the Believer’s Church from Khurda district was attacked on Sunday while he was going to his church to conduct the prayer service. The mob almost set him on fire after spraying him with gas, but police arrived in time to save him.

Another Believer’s Church pastor, Bahumulya Paik, was attacked the same day in Bamunidei village in Ganjam district.

The violence continued today. The VHP and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, with the support of the BJP enforced a dawn-to-dusk closure across the state, organizing numerous protests and road and rail blockades and launching more attacks.

As a precautionary measure, the state government ordered closure of all schools and colleges. According to Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), the protestors today attacked more than 10 churches and dozens of vehicles in different parts of the state and clashed with police in some places.

According to the EFI report, a Believers Church was also vandalized in Chandrasekharpur area in the state capital, Bhubaneswar.

“It was a spontaneous response of the people to the shutdown,” national coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, Subash Chauhan, claimed while speaking to IANS.

While the district administration has suspended the officer-in-charge of the Tumudiband police station, Orissa state chief minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a judicial probe into the incident and announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees (US$4,617) to the next of kin of the deceased.

The population of Kandhamal is 600,000, which includes around 150,000 Christians.

According to The Pioneer, police have arrested three Christians in connection with Saraswati’s murder, but at press time police had not confirmed the report.

Report from Compass Direct News

We often don’t get it right, that thing called love – and as someone who has been through this route in life, I can tell you that it’s not a pretty sight to be crying your eyes out while being left alone, confused, hurt and bleeding with tissues and napkins mixed in mucous and salty tears.

Well here are some thoughts that I wish I knew about love when I was in my teens and single years.

I wish I knew how to guard my heart by accepting the truth of God’s love. It is the only love that is faithful, pure and good till the end. Had I fully grasped the concept back when I was 12, I would have made wiser choices in my teen years.

I wish I knew when I was 13 not to be in such a hurry to grow up to become a man. I wish I could cherish each day and enjoy the innocence of childhood, make more friends, smile and laugh a lot more. I wish I could rather enjoy uncompromised perspective of what love is.

At age 15, I wish I knew that falling in love and having girlfriends isn’t the only sign of growing up. I remember all the really cool guys around me had a girlfriend and many of the girls claimed to be ‘in love’, and as a young Christian boy (you get the picture), almost surrounded by many who were very insecure about not being in a relationship.

But I wish I’d known then not to take it too seriously, because the great thing about love is it’s not based on how popular, cool or handsome you are. Love is worth waiting for. I wish I had continued to enjoy the innocence in friendships, not look at every approach from someone of the opposite sex as an interest in me or look at relationships only in that perspective.

At age 18, I wish I knew that having moustaches, beard and bulging muscles aren’t the only pre-requisites to finding love.

I wish I knew that love was more than just a feeling you feel you have never felt before. I wish I knew it was something you find in God, the one who invented love, who’s very being is love and have HIM for yourself before you looked for a ‘relationship’.

And as I kept growing,

I wish I had known that love is not something that happens overnight, it’s not something that we accidentally fall in to with all the right smelling deo’s and styles, instead we have to work at it, and learn how to love.

I wish I had known that we need different types of love in our lives from family, friends and from God and although the idea of a romantic relationship might seem exciting however it will not fully fill your need to be loved, because only God can do that.

I wish I had known that if we want to be the best lover possible we need to spend time with the one who invented love – God! I wish I had known that relationship with anyone is about giving as much as receiving, so if we go into a relationship to get our needs met then it is destined to have problems.

I wish I had known that any relationship is trying someone out for marriage, so if you are not ready to think about marriage then it probably means you are not ready for a romantic relationship.

I wish I had known that if we don’t love ourselves we will try to get our identity from another person and expect them to fill the voids in our life, but of course they can’t, only God can satisfy our craving for identity and intimacy.

I wish I had known that sometimes in a relationship people will say someone is their ‘other half’ but to be in a relationship that is going to work you need to be a ‘whole’ person, secure in who you are, in your identity as a child of God before even thinking about entering into romance.

I wish I had known that to receive love you must first learn to love unselfishly, without expectations of being loved in return. I wish I had known that if we want to experience the fullness of love, to understand it and to be the best lover ever, we need to spend time with the one who created love because He will give us the Love we desire.

I am glad I’d come to know that God’s love gives me my value. The knowledge that Jesus died for me shows me how much I’m worth and teaches me what love really is.

Knowing Jesus at a very early age totally reshaped my view of love. The way 1 Corinthians 13, describes it in the Bible is not as a bunch of feelings but as a series of perpetual self-sacrificing choices and overflowing actions.

I am glad I realized that I should love my partner with the same heart as Jesus – loving me with His life and not just his words or feelings. I’m so glad I now know that loving someone means giving your life to one another, not just feeling ‘butterflies’ in your stomach!

… of The Indian Armed Forces And This Is What You All (the people of Kashmir) Shall Get and Should Expect From The State Of India!

President of India posing with an AK-47 (Assault Rifle, allegedly recovered from Militants) on a Visit to the Indian Occupied State of Kashmir.

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The Stotra translated in English:

Namami sirasha devam gouri putram vinayakam
Bhaktayaha samsmarenityam ayushyakamartha siddhaye

Prathamam Vakratundam thu Ekadantam Dwitiyakam
Trutiyam Krishnapingam cha chaturtham gajakarnakam

Lambodaram Panchamamcha cha Shashtham vikatameva cha
Saptamam vighna Rajendram Dhumravarnam Tathashtakam

Navamam phalachandram tu dashamam cha Vinayakam
Ekadasam Ganapatim Dwadasam hasti ranmukam

Etad Dwadasa namani trisandhyam yah paten naraha
vidyarthi labhate vidyam dhanarthi labhate dhanam

To listen to the tune for this stotra and also know the meaning you can click on the following link:

• Astrojyoti

One day an evangelist by the name of Jakov arrived in a certain village. He commiserated with an elderly man named Cimmerman on the tragedies he had experienced and talked to him of the love of Christ. Cimmerman abruptly interrupted Jakov and told him that he wished to have nothing to do with Christianity. He reminded Jakov of the dreadful history of the church in his town, a history replete with plundering, exploiting, and indeed with killing innocent people. “My own nephew was killed by them,” he said and angrily rebuffed any effort on Jakov’s part to talk about Christ. “They wear those elaborate coats and caps and crosses,” he said, “signifying a heavenly commission, but their evil designs and lives I cannot ignore.”

Jakov, looking for an occasion to get Cimmerman to change his line of thinking, said, “Cimmerman, can I ask you a question? Suppose I were to steal your coat, put it on, and break into a bank. Suppose further that the police sighted me running in the distance but could not catch up with me. One clue, however, put them onto your track; they recognized your coat. What would you say to them if they came to your house and accused you of breaking into the bank?”

“I would deny it,” said Cimmerman.

“‘Ah, but we saw your coat,’ they would say,” retorted Jakov. This analogy quite annoyed Cimmerman, who ordered Jakov to leave his home.

Jakov continued to return to the village periodically just to befriend Cimmerman, encourage him, and share the love of Christ, with him. Finally one day Cimmerman asked, “How does one become a Christian?” and Jakov taught him the simple steps of repentance for sin and of trust in the work of Jesus Christ and gently pointed him to the Shepherd of his soul. Cimmerman bent his knee on the soil with his head bowed and surrendered his life to Christ. As he rose to his feet, wiping his tears, he embraced Jakov and said, “Thank you for being in my life.” And then he pointed to the heavens and whispered, “You wear His coat very well.”

Fascinating aint it? While the story highlights us to be fully cognizant to wear our coats conforming to the glory and worth of the one whom we worship. It also illustrates another powerful principle. Psalms 115 makes a powerful point “Worship is a powerful way for transformation; it transforms us to become more like the one whom we worship and put our trust in”. To illustrate - those who trust and owe their allegiance to illegitimate pleasures ultimately find their lives to be futile and ebbing away, just like the pleasures behind which they were running after. For those who worship violence, violent will be their lives.

Those who believe life to be an illusion or purposeless existence will ultimately be found struggling for meaning in their life. Hence it necessitates a deeper search for truth and verification of the same before we commit our allegiance and worship. Its not just all about the smoke, bells and smells, its much beyond what is being offered and the honesty with which it is offered, it necessitates that we look further and in to a more deeper level than the flowers and their colors, before we close our eyes and bend our heads for worship. 

What is it that is transforming you?   Whose Coat are you wearing?  

Goddess Lakshmi Brass Statues

Lakshmi Devi is the gentle and generous provider of riches and so every Hindu home has its shrine to her, as do workplaces. The presence of Goddess Laxmi brings good fortune and when she leaves she takes fortune with her. So the radiant Lakshmi who is easy to please is propitiated with puja and flowers everyday.

Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi Brass Statue

Lakshmi the goddess does not appear in the Rig-Veda but the word is used to mean good fortune. We find her as the consort of Vishnu in the Vishnu Purana. Sri Lakshmi rose to the surface of the Sea of Milk during the great churning of the ocean (when Lord Vishnu take Kurma Avatar) and chose to sit beside Vishnu. After that in all the following avatars of Vishnu Lakshmi came down to earth with him. When his incarnation was the dwarf Vamana Avatar, she came as Padma. With the Boar incarnate of Varaha Avatar she was Kamala. With Parashuram she was Dharani, with Rama she was Sita and with Krishna she was Rukmini.

I completely agree with Teganor who was kind to point out that Astrology is about energy. Energy or Power, it is irrefutable that there exists a connection between all those planets and stars and between the animate and inanimate beings of the earth. I was imposing on this connection.

Having said that, it is true that people born in different times, say months, with different sun-signs, definitely have differences in attitude and perception. And people having the same sun-sign separated by years also differ in their behavior. This is because, the planets have unique positions at different times of the same year. They also have unique positions on the same day of different years. So, even though the basic characteristics may be same for people of the same sun-sign, they are still unique. This is the result of the planetary motion.

Coming to religious implications. i don't think Astrology is bound by any religion. Is any science for that matter? If you go through Cheiro's references, he says that this science was practiced in many places. Greeks, Egyptians and many more. Each one of them related this to their own religious beliefs. Even in India, Astrology was associated with Hinduism. People from the ancient times often used to do that. Even the art of Medicine was associated with Gods. So, I see no problem in doing so.

In my opinion, in the olden days, the association with religion gives a certain standard and respect to the subject. And also, the practicer, fears misinterpretation. So, this association, is to impart ethical grounds rather than anything else.

So, I hope this information is helpful to you.