Bhubaneswar, 9 June, 2010: While Kandhamal is slowly building peace, Nuapada District is witnessing communal violence which must draw the attention of the civil society and the Government for protecting the life and property of the Christian Minorities.

Orissa after Kandhamal had become peaceful but has again been rocked by renewed communal violence in the state. On 8 June 2010, a Christian young man named Bhakta Bivar(19) and his family means his father Neheru Bivar(45), Mother Budhabari Bivar(40) believing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savoiur since 4 years residing at Sardhapalli which 14 Kms from Raj Khariar, Nuapada district of Orissa were attacked by a group of Hindu fundamentalists consisting 6 tormentors out of which 5 were identified whose names are; Siba Prasad Jha(22), Bijoy Punji(20), Samita Patra(23), Girish Panda(23) and Jasobanta Ada(20) as accused who came from Raj Khariar by motorcycles carrying daggers and sticks at about 1500 Hrs. They forcibly entered from main entrance and ransacked their house and physically assaulted Bhakta when he was alone. The reason of their brutal attck as they shouted at the victims were; "why they are believing christian faith and praying to Lord Jesus Christ and mainly when on the previous days they went to attend the Prayer and worship services in Raj Khariar conducted by their Pastor Mishra Behera, of Believers Church India, GFA.

Another reason was that few days back Bhakta's Mother Smt Budhbari was possessed by evil spirit and for that matter they went to the said Pastor who prayed and rebuked the evil spirit in the name of Jesus Christ after which she was released. Young Man Bhakta was alone in the house when the tormentors attacked their house with a plan to kill all three on the ground that why they went to a Christian Pastor and got healed by Jesus Christ through his prayer, as they charged Bhakta while torturing him mercilessly in the absence of his parents. They forcibly took away 4 Bibles those were available in their house and dragged him from his house while beating and scolding him in vulgar languages and through the middle of the village road in front of all the villagers present there at that afternoon time, they took him up to their village temple which was closed. Then they called the priest of that Hindu temple and told him to open, and finally took this Bhakta Bivar inside and brutally beaten him till he was about to become unconscious, they forced him to deny Jesus Christ and vow before that Goddessess that he and his parents will live as Hindus otherwise they will kill him and his parents there and cut them into pieces, they fed him forcibly food stuffs into his mouth sacrificed before that Goddessess, they burnt those 4 Holy Bibles what they had brought from Believer Bivar's house in front of that village Godessess inside the temple, then they brought him to the Center of the village and forced him to put on a red saffron colour cloth and declared that Bhakta has rerurned to Hinduism again with a warning to Bhakta that if he does not obey them, then they will come again to kill all of them as they will not allow any single person of that region to embrace Christianity.

After all this painful incedent was over and tormentors fled away from the spot, Bhakta gathered some strength and called one of his friend and through his help telephoned his parents who were in Raj Kahriar that time while attending a prayer meet. Believer Neheru Bivar came and after hearing all about the sufferings of his only son Bhakta, went to Raj Khariar PS and filed F.I.R which was also signed by Bhakta after his interrogation.
Now the said family has taken shelter in their Pastor's house at Raj Khariar being very very afraid of the returning to their own village house. The Young boy needs some medical aid as his ears have been badly affected. GCIC Coordinator personally contacted the said terrorised, suffering victims, comforted and consoled them with the Word of God from the Holy Bible and also advised them with required legal counsel and advised to take immediate medical care.

This continued communal violence has sent a shockwave within the Christian community in Orissa which is coming to terms after the Kandhamal carnage.

The Superintendent of Police Mr. Bibek Rath, Nuapada district has been very cooperative and through his strong Police action based on the F.I.R. No.118/04/ 900 BNA under 341,294,448,295(A),445,506,(34) IPC arrested above 5 accuseds out of 6 at about 1 AM Midnight on 09.06.2010.

The carnage of Kandhamal started small as is the case in Nuapada but things went from bad to worse. It is hoped that the administration would take proper care in Nuapada so that the nightmares of Kandhamal are not seen in Nuapada again. The peaceful Christian Community has called on the civil society to join hands in order to ensure that communal hatred does not rear its ugly head in Orissa again and the peace of Kandhamal is not shattered by communal violence in Nuapada.