Catholic priest dies after pogrom-like attacks

On Tuesday evening the Catholic priest Bernhard Digal died of the severe injuries inflicted on him in pogrom-like attacks by radical Hindus in the federal state of Orissa on 24th August 2008. The news was received with great grief in the crisis region of Kandhamal in Orissa. This was reported to the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) today by a worker of the human rights organisation who is at present visiting the disturbed area.

The 46-year old treasurer of the diocese Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar had reported in an interview in September 2008 on the pogrom-like attacks. "The attack on Christians in Orissa was an attack against the holiness and dignity of human life. The world must know that”, said Father Digal at that time. In Orissa Christians are being treated worse than animals, complained the Catholic priest. "Every possible humiliation, obscenity and torture is being carried out against the helpless Christians. Men, women and children – everyone is the target of the brutal outrages”, reported Digal in an interview published on 10th September 2008.

The priest suffered severe injuries to his head and spine when he tried to get help for a village priest who was ill, whose church and parish-hall was being attacked by enraged Hindus. When he was not able to hide in the woods he returned to the church, which had meanwhile burned down. There he was seized by the mob, his clothes were torn from his body and he was beaten for hours with clubs and sticks. Believing that they had killed him the villagers left Father Digal behind. He was finally brought by survivors of the attacks to a hospital, where the doctors found among other injuries severe cerebral haemorrhage.

In pogrom-like attacks against Christians since August 2008 about 60 Christians have been killed and 140 church buildings destroyed. More than 50,000 Christians have fled before the violence. The census of 2001 shows that 2.1 percent of the inhabitants of Orissa are Christians. A large number of them are Adivasi native people, who for decades were discriminated in the Indian caste society and who found in the Christian churches for the first time recognition and respect. Last weekend Pope Benedict called for better protection for Christians in India.