Source:  www.assistnews.net

Date:  2008-01-26

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

RANCHI, INDIA (ANS) -- About 20,000 people from various religions joined a meeting organized by Christians here in Jharkhand state to pray for peace and harmony in neighboring violence-marred Orissa state.

This news was released by the website www.ucanews.com.

The All Churches Committee (ACC) based in Ranchi, the Jharkhand capital, organized the Jan. 20 meeting to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Ranchi, 1,160 kilometers southeast of New Delhi, is the nerve center of the vibrant tribal Church in eastern India.

ACC vice chairperson Father C.R. Prabhu, who organized the program, told UCA News the participation of followers of other religions showed local people's concern for "our Christian brethren in Orissa."

Christians in that state's tribal-dominated Kandhamal district suffered violent attacks for five days starting Christmas Eve day. Five people were killed and hundreds of Christian houses and Church buildings were torched. Many tribal people ran to the forests to escape the attackers.

"People in Orissa are our close neighbors. Therefore we have much concern for them and we are very much worried for them," Father Prabhu explained. He said the prayer week, observed Jan. 13-20 in Ranchi, was meant for all Christian denominations. However, "we got great response not only from Christians but also from Hindus, Muslims, Sarna and Sikhs," the Catholic priest added. Sarna refers to people who follow traditional tribal animistic religion.

Father Prabhu said Jharkhand Sadbhavna Manch (goodwill front), an interreligious forum based in Ranchi, took the initiative to bring people of all religions to the prayer meeting.

Church of North India (CNI) Bishop Basil Balya Baskey of Ranchi urged the gathering to pray "unceasingly" for peace and harmony in Orissa. The Protestant prelate said many people in Kandhamal continue to hide in the forest, as they are afraid to return to their homes.

The situation "is still bad and our people are finding themselves more and more insecure," Bishop Baskey lamented. He urged Christians to maintain unity to face "Kandhamal-like unpleasant incidents." He also commended people of other religions for saving Christians in Orissa: "They helped Christians escape from the attack of Hindu extremists. We thank them and pray for them."

The CNI bishop described violence in the name of religion as the worst terrorism in the world. "People have freedom to accept and practice the faith of their own choice," he insisted. "We respect all religions, and we oppose violence in the name of religion."

Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Barwa of Ranchi told the gathering that Christians forgive their attackers because they follow Jesus, who forgave his enemies while dying on the cross. "Let God judge" those attacking Christians now, the Catholic prelate added.

Members of the inter-religious group prayed for peace in Orissa according to their respective religious traditions.

Mohammad A. Talib, a Muslim, condemned the attacks and assured Christians of support. "The entire Muslim community is with you when you are in trouble," he said. "Let Allah open the eyes of people who hate other faiths."

Diptiman Bose from Brahma Samaj, a Hindu sect, said people can accept each other if they believe God is the creator of all. Speaking with UCA News afterward, he asserted that Hindus are not violent. "There are some who oppose other faiths for their own interests. Therefore one should not blame the entire Hindu community for such attacks," he added.

Sardar Jashbir Singh, spokesperson for the inter-religious forum, told UCA News the Kandhamal violence was "shameful and cowardly," and "we have no words to condemn" those incidents. He urged people in Orissa to form inter-religious forums to unite all religions. The forum in Ranchi, he said, "has been very successful" in stopping sectarian violence in Jharkhand.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed annually in many parts of the world from Jan. 18-25. The theme that the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches jointly chose for the week this year is "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17).