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Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati

  • No Remorse Shown Ten Years After Massacre
    A man sitting at the door of his tent in a refugee camp in 2009.
    Thousands of Christians fled
    to refugee camps in 2008.

    When Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was murdered on August 23rd, 2008, rumours were started that this was a Christian conspiracy. Hindu militants stirred up mobs, creating a horrific massacre in the Kandhamal region of Odisha state (then named Orissa). The violence continued for seven weeks, killing at least 91 victims. Hundreds of villages were looted, over 5,000 houses and 300 churches destroyed, and 56,000 Christians were forced to flee -- often ending up in refugee camps. More details on the 2008 attack, including numerous reports and videos, are available at our India Country Report.