BHUBANESHWAR,India – Hundreds of Christian children in Kandhamal district are going to lose an entire year of school because of last August’s pogrom.
For the Church in Orissa education is priority as a tool for development and emancipation of the population.

Many victims of last August’s violence have said that when they were attacked, their assailants deliberately destroyed their certificates and diplomas. The missionaries’ work with Dalits was blamed for the fundamentalists’ reaction. Stifling children’s education is seen as one of their goals.

With elections just around the corner, the situation is increasingly tense.

On Thursday, Krishan Kumar, who is in charge of government refugee camps in Kandhamal, said that 'out of the initial 25,000 refugees, 4,000 are still left. Of these, 2,500 have been moved to temporary camps close to their villages of origin. Right now only 1,500 people are left in the Tikabali, K Nuagaon and Raikia relief camps.'