"The Indian Church is strong enough to face the situation, but the international community must do something more, because this is a major question of human rights": while the sufferings of persecuted Christians and episodes of forced conversions and martyrdom continue in Orissa, here is the appeal of card. Telesphore Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi (former president of the Indian Bishops Conference), in the state of Jarkhand (north-eastern India), bordering south on Orissa. In an interview published today on SIR’s weekly service, card. Toppo calls mostly for "a political solution": "We need a government that wants to tackle these problems". "It’s not easy to get information from Orissa he tells , because the situation has not gone back to normal yet. Many Christians have fled to the forests and some live in the fields, but aids from the humanitarian agencies are not allowed. So while the Catholic Church could move anywhere during the earthquakes or floods that devastated Orissa, now we cannot go there to work and help the victims. Last January, for example, when I went to visit those areas, I was escorted by police. In December, I was not allowed in. India is the world’s greatest democracy, but there are not great signs of democracy in Orissa". (continued)
