Help Orissa

The communal tension in Orissa has been on the rise since a Hindu Seer named Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati a member of VHP’s central advisory committee, and four others at his Jalespata Ashram in Kandhamal district of Orissa were killed by Naxalites. The communal recoil broke out against the Christians where 60,000 people have been displaced and have fled to the forests and the recent floods in Orissa have only worsened the situation.

So how can those of us in Bandra help those in Orissa? Royston Braganza says, “A good way of helping the people in Orissa is by creating awareness among the masses, only then can this violence be stopped and we all need to pray as well.” Besides creating awarenes, Bandra resident Shaun D’cunha tells us how he helped out, “I attended the protest meetings and marches that were held as I believe this is a way of giving a voice to those in Orissa. I also participated in a signature campaign which went to the president asking him to step in and stop the violence.”

But now even though the Signature campaigns are over you can still help the victims in Orissa. They are currently in need of woolen clothes, thick blankets and other items like dry foodstuffs, bathing & washing soap. You can also donate money in the form of cheques made out to the ‘Centre for Social Action’. You can drop of the items and cheques at Mt. Carmel Church and St. Peter’s Church.

– Rommel Albuquerque