Some church leaders have expressed alarm over the Indian federal government’s plan to withdraw its forces from Orissa State. “The situation is still very tense and the withdrawal of federal forces will cause panic among people,” said the Rev. Ajay Singh, who tracks casualties from Hindu-led violence for the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar. But some observers maintain that the local police can handle the situation now that Orissa has a secular government. The Indian government announced on June 1 that it would withdraw its paramilitary forces from the Kandhamal district of Orissa within a month. Government forces were sent to the district two weeks after Hindu extremists launched a sustained wave of violence against Christians in the eastern state in August 2008. The attacks claimed approximately 90 lives and left more than 50,000 people, mostly Christians, homeless.
Indian Forces Set to Leave Orissa
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Papabile: How do conclave watchers come up with their lists of the next pope—and should we trust them?
The people of God see the bishop of Rome as a teacher, but they also unquestionably see him as a father.
Since the death of Pope Francis, lists of his possible successors have proliferated on social media and in newspapers. Should you trust them?
A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, by Terrance Klein