From: " Robin Viegas" <[email protected]>
[Goanet] Orissa: Fr Edward's orphanage burned a second time
FR. EDWARD'S ORPHANAGE IN ORISSA BURNED A SECOND TIME
by Nirmala Carvalho
The fire was set at night, when there were no police to guard the
building. For the Divine Word priest, "it is a clear indication that the
area is still simmering" and that the mission "is under constant
surveillance." In spite of the latest episode of violence, Fr. Edward is
not leaving the village of Padampur: "we have to breathe life of hope into
these people."
03/27/2009 20:39
Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - For the second time in a few months, a fire has
destroyed the orphanage of Fr. Edward Sequeira, in Padampur (Orissa). On
the night of March 20, unknown persons set fire to the building, already a
target of the first Hindu violence last August. At the time of the first
fire, Rajni Majhi, a 20-year-old woman who was helping Fr. Edward as a
teacher, was killed. The Divine Word priest was tied up and beaten for
more than an hour, and also risked being burned to death (see AsiaNews.it
on 04/09/2008 and AsiaNews.it on 05/02/2009). This time there were no
deaths, but the orphanage was destroyed.
Interviewed by AsiaNews, Fr. Edward says: "This setting fire to the
Padampur orphanage is a clear indication that the area is still simmering
and there is still risk of carnage." The priest lost everything in the
fire. He explains that after the first fire, "the police were guarding the
burnt down orphanage and the night that the police was away, some unknown
persons set fire to the place. That is clearly indicative that our
Padampur mission is under constant surveillance by certain forces."
The orphanage is one of the works that Fr. Edward has been conducting for
more than 10 years in the district of Bargarh, in Orissa, located in a
backward region "where people live in absolute poverty without basic human
dignity. The Padampur mission was completely damaged.
"Most of the people we serve are poor Dalits who have to face the brunt of
the atrocities. These poor and marginalized sections of society are
ruthlessly exploited and eking out a humiliating existence. Despite
attempts on my life - which still continue - my mission is to serve these
people in spite of the hostile atmosphere. My ministry is to rehabilitate
them and empower them through education, giving them dignity and a
potential for self-reliance through vocational training, and making them
aware of their rights."
Fr. Edward reiterates his intention not to leave Padampur, where he still
runs a leper colony. "Our mission to serve the marginalized and
ostracisied must go on, that is our calling, to serve these people with
the love that Christ had for his Church. As a Catholic priest I was
ordained to serve, so in spite of the climate of intimidation we have to
breathe life of hope into these people. The cross is always be present in
the life of a Christian, and this cross brought forth the most powerful
fruit of the resurrection. This is our life, the cross of Christ in the
face of persecution, and the hope of resurrection."
From August of 2008 until February, the violence against Christians in
Orissa
destroyed 315 villages, 4,648 homes, 252 churches, and 13 schools. 120
people were killed, but some government figures say that 500 died,
including 10 religious. There were 54,000 refugees: some of them have
returned to their villages, but there are thousands of families still
living in government refugee centers or in the forest. Thousands more
people have chosen to leave their villages forever and live in the slums
of the big cities, simply to avoid returning to the places where the
discrimination and violence against Christians continue.
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=14841&size=A
***In spite of all discussion on Goanet on what is communalism and who is a
communalist,
it is painful to read the news about Orissa still burning and India shining
in riots, scams and terrorism.
We do not need any peer-reviewed scientific articles on this topic.
Our scientific literacy is enough for us to judge soundly on events and
persons.
Enough is enough...
Regards.
Fr.Ivo
