ORISSA  

 by Ps Paul Silvanus

Apostolic Faith Mission, Chennai                   (AOM partner in Chennai)

                                                    

The state of Orissa situated on the coast along the Bay of Bengal is the 9th largest state by area in India, and the 11th largest by population. Orissa is surrounded by Andhra Pradesh on the South-East, Madhya Pradesh on the West, Bihar in North, West Bengal in North-East and Bay of Bengal in the East. The Climate of Orissa is usually humid or hot & moist and its people are overwhelmed by epidemics, malnutrition and illiteracy.

Orissa known as the melting pot of religions has many diverse faiths like Brahmanism, Jainism, Shivaism, Vaishnavism, Islam and Christianity. Religious communal disharmony arose even before Indian independence in 1947 due to religious conversion. Christian missions have been active in Orissa among the tribal and backward Hindu castes from the early years of the twentieth century. Hindus have alleged that the increase in the number of Christians in Orissa has been a result of exploitation of illiteracy and impoverishment by the missionaries.

Orissa is well known for its religious persecution especially among the Dalits or untouchables, considered lower caste people and just like in other parts of India, they are subject to social and economic discrimination. Conversion from untouchability has encouraged millions of such people to escape from their circumstances through joining other religions. The Tribal Pana Dalits have converted to Christianity in large numbers and prospered financially. Over the past several decades, most of the Panas have become Dalit Christians. In recent years the authorities have passed the Anti-Conversion Law.

 The first wave or violence started in December 2007 and this aggression was followed by even more widespread violence in August 2008. Both these assaults were organized by anti-Christian Hindu extremist and in both cases not much intervention by the local authorities was done to stop the killings. In the 2008 attacks more than 500 Christians were killed and many of their homes and churches destroyed. Most of the victims of these attacks were Dalits. Many saw this as an ethnic cleansing of Christianity.

In September 2008, Graham Stewart Stains, an Australian born missionary and his two sons were sleeping in their Station Wagon when extremist doused their car with petrol and set it on fire. Stains and his sons tried to get out of the burning vehicle but were prevented from doing so by the angry mob who stood there and watched them burn to death. Some villagers nearby tried to rescue them but were set upon by the attackers. A few days later his wife Gladys offered a clear and public statement forgiving the killers. She said “I have no hatred against the killers but have forgiven them, forgiven them like Jesus did. The path of the cross is painful, and it can only be walked with love. In forgiveness there is no bitterness and when there is no bitterness, there is hope. The consolation comes from Jesus Christ.” She even appealed for clemency for the killers and got their death sentence commuted to life imprisonment. The power of forgiveness OF God in this woman is amazing. Unfortunately there were reports of many Christians who were burn to death including children. Now entry of foreign missionaries is banned.

Pastor Paul Silvanus who has a vision for church planting started the Apostolic Faith Mission where he trains and sends back local pastors to their native villages. His ministry works mostly among the Dalits and he partners with Asian Outreach Malaysia to support these Foot Soldiers.

One such pastor is Nandalal Deep in the district of Khandamal, a place often hit by violence from Hindu fanatics. The Christian community here live in constant fear of persecution and jobs are also denied to them.  Pastor Nandalal, a tribal Pana himself, had to have tight security when the first group of believers in his church were baptized.  A group of believers stood around guarding and watching for any signs of trouble while Pastor Nandalal was conducting the water baptism in the river nearby.  Danger lurks for the Christian at every corner.

Pastor Phillip Kumar, another Pastor from the Apostolic Faith Mission, who ministers in Konsdol village, organized a baptism for 30 people who gave their hearts to Jesus but the Hindu people challenged these people’s conversion (he was not aware of the anti-conversion law) and took them to the authorities. After the threats and humiliation, many backed out and only 8 were finally baptized. Now all baptisms must have prior permission from the authorities.

Unfortunately Pastor Phillip lost his wife and unborn child due to lack of medical services available. Due to this shock he himself fell ill and went into a coma. He was transferred to Chennai where doctors gave up hope for any recovery. One morning Pastor Silvanus received a call from Philip Kumar himself excitedly telling him how the Lord miraculously healed him and woke him up from his coma. Phillip is back in the field again with a new zeal and fervour. The Lord has also blessed him with another helpmate and he is remarried.

In spite of persecution and the risk to their own lives these pastors continue to minister, bringing God’s love and hope to those who have suffered so much and are committed to praying and forgiving those who persecute them and have committed such depraved acts on the Christians. They and their families are in constant danger and they always have to be careful and watchful. They pray that these people will find true peace and forgiveness in the One they oppose so violently. Many of the Christians see this as an opportunity to share in Christ’s sufferings and they know that the Lord is still in control.