By Sujata Jena

Bhubaneswar, Aug 31, 2020: The survivors of India’s worst anti-Christian persecution 12 years ago held a national webinar to raise their voice against the on-going targeted violence on religious minorities in the country.

“The purpose of this virtual webinar is to have an interface between leaders in pursuit of promoting freedom and fraternity in India: a church response,” said a press note from the organizers of the August 30 webinar.

More than 300 bishops, priests, sisters, members of the Church across India and abroad, joined the webinar on promoting freedom and fraternity in India.

Several prominent Church leaders and civil society members were invited to share their views, experiences and expertise on the topic “Interfaces of strategic national leaders meet: promoting freedom and fraternity: A Church response.”

Bishop Niranjan Sualsingh of Sambalpur in his opening remark said, “Freedom is the foundation for fraternity. Fraternity is not coming together but standing for the weak and the margins. Hence, these two are intertwined, needed for the establishment of an equitable society.”

Sister Meena Barwa, a survivor of the Kandhamal massacre, also shared her experience with the audience.

“Nights are dreadful; dreams haunted me at nights; felt someone attacking me. Felt like taking part in the humiliation of Jesus’ crucifixion. The biggest challenge is to hide my identity. Felt that I am uprooted at the thought of hiding the identity. Struggles and pains of the people pained me, but it added to my courage and commitment,” she said.

The Handmaid of Mary nun added, “I was sexually abused, raped and humiliated openly. It took years for my physical and emotional healing. I am living a normal life now. I have forgiven. But forgiveness and justice are not the same. I will fight until I get justice for me and also for the people of Kandhamal.”

Kavita Krishnan, a human rights activist, writer and politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), told the webinar: “We need to show empathy and work alongside the margins of other religions and faiths rather than ourselves to show solidarity in their struggles. Empathy and solidarity are the calls of the time as it is infectious despite there are heavy challenges. We need to win others to our causes.”

Jesuit Father Prakash Louis, an initiator of Indian Christians for Democracy, author and former director of New Delhi’s Indian Social Institute, wants leadership to look into justice aspects. “Besides, there needs to be a strategy to work out the mechanism for Dalit and Adivasi Christians for a greater cause. Justice has to be done. Affected people trust in the constitution to be restored.”

Father Cedric Prakash, director of Jesuit Center for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, Ahmedabad, challenged the priest and nuns including the major superiors, provincials, directors of institutions to break out silence, go out of the comfort zones.

“We cannot remain in fear. We need to join others to bring out justice for the margins,” he added.

The webinar was held to provide a forum for future planned action, to get justice for the victims of the Kandhamal pogrom and all the victims of religious persecution all over the country.

The meeting encouraged to promote and strengthen the alliance with other religions, ethnic and minorities and collaborate and network with secular, human rights and democracy groups at local, national, regional and global levels.

The webinar was to strengthen those targeted for their faiths.

The webinar also mooted the idea of forming a National Social Action Forum of Priests and Religious to intensify their commitment and rededicate themselves realizing the need for a prophetic witness in the Kingdom value of love, justice and peace in spirit and in action.

The webinar was organized by the National Social Action Forum of Priests and Religious, Justice Coalition of Religious North and East India, Justice and Peace Forum and Conference of Religious India.

The organizers said the commemoration is also intended to promote freedom and fraternity values in the country that are envisioned in the Indian Constitution.