It has been 16 years since the massacre of Christians in Kandhamal, India in which 500 Christians were killed and more than 1800 were injured by extremist Hindus.
The 16th anniversary of the Kandhamal massacre is marked by lingering pain and unanswered calls for justice.
On December 24, 2007, extremist Hindu organizations carried out a brutal assault on Christians during Christmas celebrations in the Kundhamal district of Orissa.
The aftermath saw the destruction of 400 churches, 4,000 houses, and claimed 500 lives, with over 75,000 people displaced.
The riots persisted for four days without government intervention, allowing the perpetrators to act with impunity.
Reports of the violence, including the forced conversion of thousands of Christians to Hinduism, drew international condemnation from entities such as Human Rights Watch, the European Union, and the USA. Despite accusations against Sangh Parivar organizations by the Minority Commission and Justice AP Shah Commission, justice remains elusive for the affected Christian families.
A decade later, a commemorative Mass in Odisha's state capital reflects on the horrific events that unfolded in Kandhamal District. Hindu extremists, attributing the violence to the murder of their leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, and four disciples on August 23, 10 years earlier, targeted Christians.
The aftermath of the violence saw the displacement of 56,000 Christians, forced to seek refuge in forests where many succumbed to hunger and snakebites.
Church and social activists documented the destruction of almost 300 churches, convents, schools, hostels, and welfare facilities, with reports of women and young girls falling victim to rape.
The commemorative Mass serves as a somber reminder of the challenges faced by religious minorities and the enduring quest for justice and reconciliation in the aftermath of tragedy.
