A new word for shame

We have a new word for shame: its name is Orissa.

Here we are in the comforts of urban Mumbai - shopping for veggies in super-markets, sleeping in soft beds without a care in the world - and on the other side of our country we have the darkest pillaging going on.

Our papers? A few comments here and there. The BBC - not a word on its website today (plenty about a certain American lady's daughter's pregnancy...). CNN? Forget it.

We are in a culture of violence. Make no mistake. If you want to be heard today - you need to block the main road for some weeks. You need to break some heads - and taunt the police by throwing stones and burning their vehicles. Then they will open fire on you and you have your media-ready martyrs. The politicians will soon swarm around and announce a Rs. 5 lakh ex-gratia payment to the nearest and dearest.

Even the sign boards in Mumbai have suddenly sprouted Marathi (or at least Devanagri script). It didn't happen because a certain political party went on a massive tree planting expedition. It happened because our dear local goons love tearing things down. A few well aimed stones and that's that.

Take a look at what is happening in the wet greeness of Orissa. Last Christmas there was the dress rehearsal. Homes of Christians were specifically targetted and burned. Churches looted. People killed. Who knows how many. Its a jungle out there. The fact is that our country remained quiet. A few appeals for peace. No prosecutions. Nothing. The villagers fled into the forest. Some have still to return. Ethnic - or at least 'religious' cleansing. Fait accompli.

Now its out and out war. Only there is only one group that is moving forward with the killing. The VHP / Bajrang Dal and other such groups are clearly putting their swords where their mouths are.

What to say? Its so unbelievable - to have people being killed in our dear country. To live in a time such as this where violence is so horribly prevalent - and our leadership so terribly timid.

We have seen the likes before. 1984 with the Sikhs. 2006 with Gujarat. We have had exposes on TV where the Gujarat killers gleefully tell of what they did. Ripping pregnant women up. And yet did we see a tide of revulsion? No. The story died its natural death - between advertisements for underwear and washing powder and life insurance policies.

Jim Scott talks about "weapons of the weak" as everyday acts of resistance. He did fieldwork in Indonesia and saw how the peasants were able to carryout a steady attrition of powers to the patron - and yet still remained in their subordinate status.

Do we have some such weapons for our brothers and sisters in Orissa-land? The blinding irony of it all is that I have received about 15 emails today with different details about what is going on - and yet my day has continued on it its course pretty-much unscathed.

One of the few weapons that we have is to talk to God. This seems the most ludicrous and escapist / head in the sand one of all. But I am serious. Really talk. Pour out our hearts. We have an opportunity on Sunday when a national day of prayer and fasting has been called by the Indian Missions Association.

But what I mean is something even more elemental. A weeping before God for the horrible things that are happening in our beloved country. A groaning on behalf of those who groan - confused and disturbed and wounded.

A prayer for those who wield the tridents. That like the Lord said - Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. Our prayer must be that those who are doing the most killing will also be the ones who have a total change of heart- and become missionaries themselves. It has happened before - look at Saul's change to Paul and all that happened in the early church through him.

Do pray and agonise over what is happening. Pray for healing. Pray for justice. Pray for relief. Pray for mercy to those who are oppressing.

A few sites you might be interested in checking out:

1. Orissa burning

2. a candle in the dark

3. orissa burning take a look at the 30 comments - most of whom blame the missionaries and say good riddance