A new church built beside a destroyed one, where a Protestant Christian was burnt alive in Kandhamal – the epicentre of the 2008 anti-Christian riots in eastern India’s Odisha state – is a sign of hope and renewed faith, say Church leaders. The Catholic Church of Archangel Michael in Gudrikia, a substation under the Padangi parish in Kandhamal district, was blessed on May 26 by Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. The new church was built near an old church, which was attacked during the 2008 anti-Christian riots. The rioting Hindu mob destroyed the church after burning alive Mathew Nayak, a school teacher, for refusing to give up his Christian faith. “The new church is a sign of hope and faith among Christians, as it comes following the worst anti-Christian violence,” said Father Sebastian Thottamkara, the parish priest in Padangi.
India’s poor deserve better than this
Concerns are being raised about whether the needs of poor and marginalized communities in India are receiving enough attention in current government policies. Observers say
