Believers celebrate peaceful Christmas in Orissa

Emergency relief supplies still urgently needed for believers

January 7, 2009

A peaceful Christmas in Orissa is an answer to prayer, believers in India say.

Hindu extremists had threatened a Dec. 25 state-wide bandh, or forced shut-down on all business activity and social gatherings such as Christmas celebrations.

But Christians in Orissa are praising God for an uneventful Christmas, after the Indian government ordered helicopter patrols and sent thousands of federal troops to prevent a repeat of the Christmas 2007 violence.

Christmas celebrations were reportedly subdued but peaceful, a sign of hope for the people of the hardest hit regions that life is slowly returning to normal after months of extended violence against Christians.

And on January 5, according to news reports, India's Supreme Court directed the goverment of Orissa — which provided little protection to Christians during the months of attacks — to take necessary measures to protect minority believers from persecution:

“ We will not accept the persecution of minority. If the state government is unable to protect them it should resign. We have to protect the minorities... No minority community should be insecure in the country," one justice stated. "It is the duty of the state government to protect the minority community. You (state) have done this only after 50,000 people of the minority community fled to the jungles. ”

Christian leaders in India were forced to file the petition with the Supreme Court after local authorities failed to provide adequate security in Orissa.

Beginning in late August, believers began suffering unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Hindu extremists. As many as 500 believers martyred. Hundreds of homes and churches burned. Thousands left homeless.

Despite the court order, many Christians are afraid to return home to villages that have been abandoned for months. Tens of thousands are still living in squalid government relief camps.

Now some face the threat of being turned out of the government camps, which are reportedly being closed down in some areas. Some smaller camps run by local Christian churches will continue to operate, but there is still an urgent need to provide for these believers' physical needs. Most have no homes to return to, and will have no access to basic supplies after they leave the camps.

Give Emergency Relief Kits to Orissa's believers

We are nearly halfway to our $70,000 goal to provide Emergency Relief Kits to 2,000 Christian families in Orissa. Our staff in India is working with ministry partners to distribute these emergency supplies in relief camps where the needs are most urgent.

Your gift of $35 will provide basic supplies for a family of four:

  • cooking utensils
  • water jug
  • blankets
  • rice
  • clothing for two adults & two children
  • Bible and picture New Testament in local Oriya language
  • food & medicine where most urgently needed

For more information or to make a donation over the phone, please call us at (877) 644-6342.

Click on the photos below to see more images from Orissa