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The Bible Society of India observed the 13th Anniversary of Kandhamal Day as a day to commemorate the onslaught of Christians living in Kandhamal town at Phulbani District in Odisha in the year 2008, resulting in many horrifying deaths, destructions of church buildings, individual houses, shops and loss of huge properties. Thousands of them are left in deep pain, with immense traumatizing memories as innocent girls and women were gang-raped, many were arrested as culprits, some were convicted for life imprisonment.

Mr. Anto Akkara, a renowned Journalist at the National and International level from Thrissur, Kerala was our Guest Speaker of the day. Mr. Anto Akkara, along with committed lawyers, is tirelessly pursuing justice for those victims of violence for the Christians in Kandhamal. With his rich experience in journalism and case studies, with the practical knowledge of the Indian Penal Code as a degree holder of the  Bachelor of Legislative Law or Legum Baccalaureus (LLB), and as a Christian activist, Mr. Anto had shared his deep personal experience and the testimony of faith that he came across in the past 13 years. He concluded his sharing with a remark saying “Kandhamal experience is no more a painful tale to tell, but it is a story of Christian faith in Christ and a story of the people of God who are the peacemakers in the midst of struggles for Human Rights, Justice, and Dignity. It is a story of borderless love as neighbors living in Kandhamal town irrespective of their tribes, castes, and faith.”

Mr. Anto, through his personal prayer unveils the long and winding roads he still needs to travel until all the victims of injustice are acquitted from Conviction of Life Imprisonment for a crime they had never committed by the High Court of Odisha. Let us earnestly join Mr. Anto as he prays: