Hindu-Christian violence flares in India, two bodies found

Dec 30, 2007, 12:09 GMT

New Delhi - Communal tensions between Hindus and Christians flared in India's eastern state of Orissa as two more bodies were found and houses belonging to both communities were torched in the affected areas, media reports said Sunday.

There were some incidents of violence in the central Kandhamal district despite clamping of curfew and large presence of police and paramilitary forces in sensitive areas, the NDTV network reported.

The report said two more bodies were found in Barkhama and the Brahmanigaon, Christian-dominated villages where violence broke out on Christmas Day.

Dozens of houses belonging to both communities were torched since Saturday as hundreds of Christians fled their homes and were reportedly hiding in the nearby jungles, the network reported.

On Thursday, three people were killed in police firing on a Hindu mob which had set ablaze a police station in Brahmanigaon.

But senior state officials maintained that the situation was 'under control' in Kandhamal and more forces were on way to the district.

Senior administration official Satyabrata Sahu told 35 people were arrested and action would soon be taken against those guilty of stoking violence.

The trouble between the communities sparked after Hindu right-wing organizations objected to plans by local Christian groups to celebrate Christmas in a big way.

A Hindu religious leader was also allegedly attacked by the Christians after which the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a Hindu organization, called for a strike and its members began attacking Christians.

About 100,000 of Kandhamal's 650,000 population are Christians while most of the rest are Hindus. Hindu right-wing groups accuse Christian missionaries of luring poor and uneducated tribals with money and promises of jobs,education and health care.

Christian groups say the tribal people turn to Christianity to escape the indignities of being on the fringe of the Hindu caste system.

There have been several incidents of violence against missionaries and churches in the region, formerly known as Phulbani district.