Seventeen years have passed since the horrific Kandhamal riots in India’s Odisha state, where hundreds of Christians were brutally killed under the BJP-led government.
On August 25, 2008, Hindu extremists unleashed violence in Kandhamal district, killing scores of Christians. The riots lasted for four consecutive days, during which 600 Christian villages and more than 400 churches were torched, leaving a trail of destruction. As a result, nearly 75,000 people were displaced, many of whom were forced to live as refugees for months.
During the violence, more than 100 Christian women were subjected to gang rape, and several families were burned alive. According to Reuters, thousands of Christians were also forcibly converted to Hinduism by extremist groups.
An Economic Times report revealed that radical outfits such as Bajrang Dal, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were the main perpetrators behind the riots. Meanwhile, Frontline reported that the violence was carried out under state patronage, with police acting as silent spectators, forcing nearly 50,000 Christians to flee into forests to save their lives.
In Nagawan, 40 extremists gang-raped a Christian nun, yet the Indian court acquitted all the accused due to lack of evidence.
Human Rights Watch, the European Union, the United States, and several other countries strongly condemned the massacre of Christians under state protection. However, even after 17 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government continues to avoid punishing the perpetrators for political gains.
