By Matters India Reporter
Bhubaneswar: Some 25 priests from various parts of India plan to express solidarity with the survivors of the 2008 anti-Christian persecution in the Kandhamal district of Odisha, eastern India.
They are the national executive members of the Catholic Priests’ Conference of India (CPCI), an association of progressive diocesan priests.
They want to understand the issues as well as show solidarity with the Kandhamal survivors on the tenth anniversary of the violence. They would also show solidarity with people and priests there during their September 25-27 visit, said Father Philip Kattakayam, CPCI secretary.
The trip is organized as a part of the CPCI national convention and annual general body meeting.
The theme selected is “Social justice and human rights in the context of the Constitution of India.”
“In the present socio-political and religious context of India, it is our Constitution that holds us together as Indians, guaranteeing to every citizen her or his basic human rights and dignity. Every act of injustice meted out especially to the weaker sections, is an act of profanation against the Constitution of India,” said Father Kattakayam.
“It is high time for us members of CPCI to join hands with all people of goodwill to uphold the rights of everyone for dignified life with human rights,” he added.
CPCI is an independent body of Catholic priests in India and not controlled by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).
The meeting is organized in Odisha for a pilgrimage to Kandhamal.
Kandhamal witnessed the worst anti-Christian violence in modern Indian history. The community experienced violence during Christmas season in 2007 and again in the second half of 2008.
Around 100 people lost their lives and more 56,000 people were rendered homeless in the violence that began on August 25, 2008, and lasted for a few months. Thousands of houses and hundreds of churches and Church institutions were destroyed in the mayhem.