Story of a parish “disappearing” after the anti-Christian massacres in Orissa

ASIA/INDIA - 

Bhubaneshwar (Agenzia Fides) - A parish has vanished into thin air. The story of Betticalla Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, the scene of anti-Christian massacres in August 2008, is a tragic story that the local Church recounted to Fides.
The parish covered the territory of the village of Nandigiri, where a hundred Christian families lived, alongside other Hindu families. These were poor farming families, very devoted and committed to the local Church, where there were two priests and three nuns residing in the parish.

One of the two priests, Fr Mrityunjaya Digal, is the current secretary of Archbishop Raphael Cheenath. His mother and his two brothers residing in the village have suffered and witnessed some of the most terrible episodes of violence recorded in the period of the massacres. The Hindu militants shaved the head of one of the two brothers and, exposing him to public ridicule, forced him to eat cow dung and drink its urine, acting out a ritual of forced conversion to Hinduism.
Each Christian house was raided and burned. The faithful took refuge in the forest and then found refuge in camps set up by the Government. However they are among the people who will never be able to return to their homes because the extremists still require the precondition of a mass conversion to Hinduism.
The authorities have announced “that they cannot do anything” in the face of threats by radical groups and cannot guarantee the security of Christians if they return to the area. The solution was, then, to found a new village, a great distance from Nandigiri on the slopes of the mountains. The village is called, paradoxically, “Shantinagar”, meaning “place of peace.”
And so local authorities have allocated a small piece of land to build a new home to each family. The Christian families (51 are Catholic) had much work to do. They tilled the land, built canals and paths to make the area habitable. However, to build each 80,000 rupees is needed, so fund-raising has started. Aid has also come from the Jesuits and the Sisters of Mother Teresa, who provided blankets, food and clothes.
But, despite all efforts, survival is very difficult and the sensation is that of living in a “ghetto”. There is no work in Shantinagar and there is no agricultural land. Most young people travel daily to the nearby town of Udayagiri, in search of day labour. “But people feel deprived of their dignity. And the Church in Orissa has lost a parish,” a source from the local Church tells Fides. Today the parish priest lives in distant Bhubaneswar, the state capital. Another priest will come to celebrate Mass on Sunday. The villagers will also endeavour to build a new church, with the help of the Congregation of St Gabriel, but it still awaits approval from the authorities for the building. Life in the new colony is very hard. The hidden desire of the faithful, entrusted to the intentions of Christmas, would be to return to Nandigiri. But it is highly likely to remain only a dream. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2010)

 

Orissa: Priest Mentioned in Above Article Who was Attacked in Anti-Christian Riots Has Died

Fr Joseph Kalathil, Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar hs sent this report.

Fr Bernard Digal, Treasurer of the Archdiocese, residing at Archbishop's House, 9/16 Satyanagar, Bhubaneswar, had been to Sankharakhol under Tikaballi P.S., Kandhamal district., on 23 August 2008 for official work. While he was camping at Sankharakhole, communal violence broke out and his vehicle bearing Reg. No. ORO-2- Q-6838 was set on fire. Fearing further violence and attack he took shelter in the jungle with his driver Mr Sisiro Pradhan, S/o Late Mr. Lokhono Pradhan. Looking for a safe place they walked through jungle and reached Dudukangia village near Kottimaha under Tikaballi PS. There a violent mob with latis ironbars and other sharp weapons attacked Fr Bernard, Mr Sisiro Pradhan and Mr Dondapani Mallick who joined them. Mr Sisiro Pradhan and Mr Dondapani Mallick ran away and took shelter in the jungle. Some miscreants attacked and assaulted Fr Bernard with , iron bars, sharp weapons etc. inflicting severe injuries on the head and other parts of the body. They left him on the spot totally naked and thinking that he was dead. However he regained consciousness but unable to move and frightened in the deserted place.

At about 6.30 in the morning Mr Pradhan and some of the villagers spotted Fr Bernard and gave some water to drink. With the help of the Gramo Rokhi of the village Mr Pradhan informed the police at Tikaballi by Phone. After one hour the Inspector of Police arrived on the spot with five constables. Seeing the serious condition of Fr.Bernard Inspector of Police drove Fr Bernard to the health centre at Tikaballi in the police jeep. After some primary treatment the doctor on duty referred the case to the District Headquarter Hospital at Phulbani and shifted Fr. Bernard to Phulbani in the hospital Ambulance. After a day's treatment the Doctors at Phulbani referred the case to Cuttack Medical College. Fr Bernard was brought to Bhubaneswar and admitted in Kalinga Hospital, Bhubaneswar. After three days of treatment in Kalinga Hospital he was shifted to Holy Spirit Hospital in Mumbai by flight as his condition continued to be very serious.

In Holy Spirit Hospital his condition slowly and steadily improved. Finally he was discharged from the Hospital. He further underwent Physiotherapy in Mumbai and felt better.

Fr. Bernard went to Chennai to meet a friend of him who was sick and hospitalized in Chennai. In Chennai he felt exhausted and sick and so got himself admitted to St.Thomas Hospital. There his condition became serious in spite of the care and treatment by a team of well known doctors. Finally he succumbed to death on 28 October at 8.50pm.

A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF FR BERNARD DIGAL

Fr Bernard Digal was born on 27 January 1962 in Tiangia village, Raikia PS, Kandhamal district., Orissa, as the fourth child of late Mahajan and late Lucia Digal. He has a brother and two sisters. He attended school in Tiangia, Mondasoro and Raikia and did his Intermediate in Phulbani College. He continued his higher studies in Calcutta and was ordained a Priest on 29 May 1992 for the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. He served the Archdiocese in various capacities such as Assistant Parish Priest, Parish Priest, Spiritual Director to the Seminarians, Vocation Director, Treasurer of the Archdiocese etc. He was committed to his responsibilities, was friendly, sociable, helpful outgoing, generous and very human. His untimely and sad death is a great loss to the Archdiocese and the people.

Fr.Joseph Kalathil
Vicar General
Archbishop's House
Satyanagar, Bhubaneswar.

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