February 10, 2010 UCAN: Catholic Religious in Orissa need to do more to unite people in the riot-hit eastern state, says a leading nun there.

Sister Flora Lakra, superior of the Daughters of the Cross province in Orissa’s Rourkela, says the “credibility of Religious” life is eroding across India, including Orissa.

“We need to take the lead” in interreligious dialogue and projects, she said.

“There has been very little interreligious cooperation” in the state that witnessed weeks of anti-Christian violence in 2008.

The 45-year-old nun, a councilor of the Conference of Religious India (CRI), said more people now fail to see the difference between Religious life and secular life.

“We need to change our manner — our dress, food and socializing — to one more becoming of the life we have chosen. We should become authentically spiritual,” Sister Lakra told UCA News today [Feb. 9].

The Religious should get more involved in interreligious activities across India, particularly in Orissa where Christians make up only 2.7 percent of the state’s some 37 million people, mostly Hindus, she said.

In 2008, rampaging Hindu groups attacked Christians, and burned down their homes, churches and convents. The violence killed at least 70 people and displaced some 50,000, many of whom are yet to return to their villages for fear of further attacks.

“In the particular context of Orissa, Religious have to become pro-active,” said the nun, a native of Orissa.

Hindu fanatic groups are “bent on dividing people” along the lines of religion, caste and ethnicity for their own political and social ends, Sister Lakra said.

“Religious are called to become signs and forces of unity of people.”

She said Religious must work for the welfare of people. “Religious life is meaningful only if it can make a difference in the life of other people,” she said.

The tribal nun said the Indian Church has more vocations to the Religious life from among tribal people in northern and eastern India. “It is good. It is now easy for more Religious to understand the problems of their people, and respond to them quickly.”