of mr. Meena Barwa
Precisely on the 14th anniversary of the pogroms in Orissa, the Ministry of the Interior has submitted a brief to the Supreme Court in which it qualifies as “falsehoods for the purpose of influencing internal affairs” the allegations of persecution at the hands of fundamentalists Hindus. The testimony of Sister Meena, who was personally a victim of the attacks in the Kandhamal district: “God allowed me to see death and live again. I am close to those who are still suffering.”
Mumbai () – August 23 is Kandhamal Day for Christians in Orissa, in memory of the dramatic attacks they suffered in August 2008 that left more than 100 dead and thousands displaced. The anniversary falls this year in a context in which – for months and in many parts of India – a new and worrying increase in attacks by Hindu fundamentalists has been taking place. The situation is so serious that the Archbishop of Bangalore, Msgr. Peter Machado -along with the National Solidarity Forum and the Evangelical Fellowship of India- submitted a few weeks ago to the New Delhi High Court to intervene to stop the ” hate propaganda” fueling attacks on places of worship.
The petition is being considered and just a few days ago the Ministry of the Interior responded with a letter in which it flatly denies the phenomenon, affirming that the petitioners “resort to falsehoods and self-indulgent documents” together with press articles that incorrectly report such episodes. “The resource -replies the Modi government- denounces attacks against Christians based on mere conjecture. There seems to be a hidden and oblique agenda in staging disorder across the country, perhaps to get help from abroad and meddle in the country’s internal affairs.”
The Superior Court has postponed the case and set the next hearing for August 25. But the denialism of the Ministry of the Interior has provoked reactions of indignation among the Indian Christians. “This response from the central government is, to say the least, disconcerting – the SVD priest Babu Joseph, former spokesman for the Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), told -. Even a cursory glance leaves no doubt about the wave of attacks against Christians and their institutions that is taking place across the country. And to say that what the newspapers and other sources report is not true is to deny the obvious. It may be that there are reasons other than religious ones behind some individual cases of atrocities, but to treat them all as false is to turn a blind eye. We hope that the judiciary, despite official denials, goes to the root of these attacks and brings relief to citizens who see their constitutional rights threatened.”
In this context, the following testimony of Sister Meena Barwa, the religious from Orissa who was personally the victim of violence and rape 14 years ago in the Kandhamal district, takes on an even more serious meaning. Since then she has tirelessly recounted how she was able to survive that horror by offering a forgiveness inseparable from the battle for justice, so that others do not have to experience what she suffered again. I served in the Kandhamal district for two years, sharing the life of the local population, helping them in their growth, development and self-sufficiency. On August 23, 2008, and for four days, I observed that some people, including women and children, fled into the jungle. I saw that in the villages they had set fire to Christian houses. I was also one of the people who suffered during the unprecedented anti-Christian violence in 2008, in the Kandhamal district of Orissa, which lasted for several months. More than 100 people were killed and thousands fled their lands and homes to protect their lives. I was raped and paraded half-naked through the streets by forces hostile to Christians. It was a miracle that he survived this ordeal. I escaped death and managed to file a complaint with the police, the first step in opening an investigation.
The consequences of the violence were more terrible and difficult to face. I have no words to explain the trauma, physical pain and mental disorders I have suffered. I had to move from one place to another for my personal safety. I had to live in disguise, moving from one place to another, hiding my identity. I lost sleep, had nightmares, brutal violence haunted me at night. That year I took refuge in 15 different places. After I was forced to relive the trauma during the court trial, I repeatedly suffered humiliation, intimidation, slander and mental torture.
In the last 14 years a lot has changed: I am now a graduate in Law and a member of the Council of the Orissa Bar Association. My superiors, my community, my parents and my family have helped me to leave behind the pain and wounds and to accept life, a gift from God, with gratitude. I count them among the many blessings I have received from God, they were angels sent to help me, so that I would not wallow in my misfortune, so that I could overcome my trauma and bring hope to others. I live thanking God who allowed me to see death but to live again. God gave me meaning, filled me with optimism, and helped me have a positive attitude. I have become a grateful person.
I have experienced the protection of God in these 14 years. He helped me completely leave my life in his hands. God is totally good. Yes, He is my strength (Isaiah 12:2). I have lived 14 years of faithfulness and love for God.
For many in Kandhamal these 14 years have continued to be marked by injustice, pain and rupture. However, as a Christian I continue to speak of forgiveness to those who have made us suffer. Let us look at Jesus, our eternal Master, who from the cross showed us the path of forgiveness. When we forgive we free ourselves from hurts, fears, shame, humiliation, anger, insecurity, frustration. We no longer ruminate our evil. We fight for justice because we want all acts of violence in our society to end and to promote justice.
We are happy to have better understood the meaning of life, to have courage, to live with dignity, to live this life with love and respect, to have understood that we are children of God and equal before Him, to live life with compassion and mercy.
On the occasion of Kandhamal Day, I pay tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives during the violence. My sympathy goes out to those who continue to fight against violence; yes, I am with them and for them. Today I say it with conviction: my experience is that the love of Jesus is greater than the hatred that I have experienced. The peace of Jesus is greater than anxiety and fear. The harmony that I experience in Jesus is greater than my bitterness. Jesus is my hope in despair. The consolation of Jesus is greater than my pains. Jesus respects my shame, Jesus honors my humiliation. The healing he offers me is bigger than my wounds and my traumas. His justice is greater than any injustice he must face.
(with the collaboration of Nirmala Carvalho)
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