Bangalore: A moving documentary titled ‘Martyrs of Kandhamal on the Path to Sainthood’ was premiered on February 5 at the ongoing 36th biennial Assembly of Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) in Bangalore.
“We are happy to welcome journalist Anto to present this important documentary on Martyrs of Kandhamal to the CBCI assembly,” said Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, CBCI president, before the screening of the documentary to 180 bishops attending the Assembly.
“This documentary has been brought out in the context of the Vatican granting ‘no objection’ (nihil obstat) for putting 35 Catholic Martyrs of Kandhamal on the path to sainthood,” said journalist author Anto Akkara, producer of the 16-minute documentary. The documentary offers a glimpse into WHY & HOW dozens of even illiterate and poor Christians, irrespective of denominations, embraced martyrdom in 2008 during orchestrated anti-Christian violence.
“The screening of this documentary was planned for January 9 at the ‘Servants of God’ ceremony for the 35 Catholic Martyrs in Kandhamal – that was postponed in 11th hour under government caution. So, it is being released here,” Akkara explained.
“Kandhamal has become the holy land of India thanks to the valiant Martyrs. The amazing Christian witness amid diabolic violence in the remote jungles of Odisha has carved out the obscure Kandhamal district a place in the annals of history,” pointed out Akkara who has visited the remote Kandhamal jungles 35 times since it went up in flames from August 2008.
Following the 2008 Janmashtami night murder of 81-year-old Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, fundamentalist groups promptly blamed Christians for the murder and ‘banned’ Christianity in remote jungles and brutalized the Christians.
Those who refused to forsake their faith were burnt alive, buried alive and chopped into pieces rendering over 100 Christians martyrs. Over 300 churches and 6,000 Christian houses were plundered, rendering 56,000 Christians homeless for years.
“Kandhamal Christians’ rock-like faith should inspire the Christians in the country in the troubled times,” Akkara said. Despite the worst persecution in Indian history, the journalist author pointed out, “hardly any Christian has given up the faith. On the contrary, the forgiving response of the poor Christians has melted the hearts of even aggressors who are now flocking to the churches they tried to banish from Kandhamal.”
“This day is a memorable one for me after the Seven Innocents of Kandhamal were presented here in February 2020,” said Akkara who has been carrying out a social media campaign for the release for Kandhamal’s ‘SEVEN INNOCENT’ Christians who had been fraudulently convicted for Swami Lakshmanananda murder in 2013 and were released on bail by the Supreme Court in 2019 after 11 years. “However, their appeal is still pending before Odisha High Court,” Akkara lamented.
The St Titus Brandsma winning journalist has produced over half a dozen documentaries (available on YouTube) besides authoring five investigative books on Kandhamal including popular ‘Who Killed Swami Lakshmanananda?’ exposing the political conspiracy behind Kandhamal bloodshed and ‘Early Christians of 21st Century’ chronicling the incredible Christian witness in Kandhamal.
Anto Akkra has rendered a great service to the forgotten people of Kandhamal. However, this is a very delicate matter in today’s communally surcharged atmosphere.Hence the issue should be addressed with caution.