"Christians are brutally attacked by the fundamentalists and law and order is fully missing especially in Kandhamal where the fundamentalists have taken charge of the whole district," said Christian groups and churches in an appeal to India's National Human Rights Commission on January 2.

The Roman Catholic Church, the ecumenical All India Christian Council and other church groups submitted a joint memorandum to the human rights body. In it they pointed out that more than 60 churches have been torched, 600 Christians' houses burned down and more than 5,000 Christians have been displaced due to the orchestrated anti-Christian violence in and around Kandhmal in Orissa state.

The Christians were killed in violence that was sparked by Hindu groups destroying Christmas decorations on December 24 in the Kandhamal district.

"The plight of the Christians is really pitiable," John Dayal, AICC secretary general who has been visiting troubled-torn villages in recent days, told Ecumenical News International.

Dayal said that following assaults on Christians by armed Hindu extremists, pastors as well as members of congregations fled to the jungles. Police officials offered assistance to the harassed Christians, but advised pastors not to go near their churches as they said they are not in a position to provide protection for the Christians.

"A series of well planned attacks on innocent Christians and their leaders have completely shocked us," said Catholic Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cattuck-Bhubaneshwar, which is the capital of Orissa, in the memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"What is more worrying and disheartening to note is the manner in which the unruly mob went on rampaging in villages," the archbishop said in document he presented to the prime minister on December 31 after making a special trip to New Delhi.

Later addressing a press conference after calling on the Indian prime minister and other top government officials, Cheenath said the state administration did virtually nothing to curb the violence over four days in which extremists attacked at will.