1 dead as Hindus, Christians clash again in India
New violent clashes between Hindus and Christians in eastern India left one dead and 12 injured.
By Agencies |
BHUBNESHWAR: New violent clashes between Hindus and Christians in eastern India left one dead and 12 injured on Tuesday, police said.
The pre-dawn violence in Orissa state's Kandhamal district started when a Hindu mob attacked a Christian priest, said Kishore Pradhan, a local police officer.
The priest's son retaliated by firing on the crowd, leading to further clashes between the two groups, he said.
Police intervened and opened fire to disperse the mob, killing one Hindu woman, Pradhan said.
Five of the 12 injured in the clashes were in a serious condition, with some of them suffering gunshot wounds, Pradhan said. The death toll could rise, he said.
Clashes between Hindus and Christians in Orissa began Aug. 24 following the killing of a Hindu religious leader. At the time, police blamed Maoist rebels active in the area, but right-wing Hindu groups blamed local Christians and set fire to a Christian orphanage.
The violence then worsened to include mob attacks on churches, shops and homes.
According to the state government, 28 people have died in the ensuing violence but the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India has said that at least 40 Christians have been killed.
The attacks on Christians have spread to the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Relations are usually peaceful between Christians, who make up 2.5 per cent of India's 1.1 billion people, and Hindus, who account for more than 80 percent.
However, hard-line Hindu groups claim Christian missionary groups are forcing or bribing people to convert to Christianity, charges denied by Christian leaders.
The pre-dawn violence in Orissa state's Kandhamal district started when a Hindu mob attacked a Christian priest, said Kishore Pradhan, a local police officer.
The priest's son retaliated by firing on the crowd, leading to further clashes between the two groups, he said.
Police intervened and opened fire to disperse the mob, killing one Hindu woman, Pradhan said.
Five of the 12 injured in the clashes were in a serious condition, with some of them suffering gunshot wounds, Pradhan said. The death toll could rise, he said.
Clashes between Hindus and Christians in Orissa began Aug. 24 following the killing of a Hindu religious leader. At the time, police blamed Maoist rebels active in the area, but right-wing Hindu groups blamed local Christians and set fire to a Christian orphanage.
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The violence then worsened to include mob attacks on churches, shops and homes.
According to the state government, 28 people have died in the ensuing violence but the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India has said that at least 40 Christians have been killed.
The attacks on Christians have spread to the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Relations are usually peaceful between Christians, who make up 2.5 per cent of India's 1.1 billion people, and Hindus, who account for more than 80 percent.
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However, hard-line Hindu groups claim Christian missionary groups are forcing or bribing people to convert to Christianity, charges denied by Christian leaders.
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