Christians in Odisha say they contribute generously to the celebration of festival of their Hindu brethren as a gesture to foster solidarity and brotherhood.
“I gladly gave 2,000 rupees, the amount decided by the Hindu Diwali committee for a Christian family,” said Lazarus Bage, a Catholic catechist, hailing from Sundargargh, now settled in Cuttack for the past 46 years.
He told Matters India on October 23, the eve of Diwali festival, that he saw an opportunity to cooperate and collaborate with the majority Hindus in their major festival of Diwali in the city of Cuttack.
The Samal Street Bidyadharpur Cuttack city committee had decided to collect 300 rupees from local inhabitants, 500 rupees from those staying in rented houses and 2,000 from outsiders settled in Cuttack for the Diwali celebrations.
Bage is among some 50 Catholic families, all settlers, under St. Antony of Padua Parish, Bidyadharpur, Nayabajar, Cuttack. Another parish in the city, Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary Cathedral Parish, has 300 Catholic families, most of them settlers. The amount for each family varies from street to street, town to town and city to city.
A Christian family living in Cuttack after the 2006 Kandhamal communal violence also donated to the Diwali committee.