Orissa curfew after fresh clash

Orissa has seen rising tension between Christians and Hindus

The authorities in the eastern Indian state of Orissa have imposed a curfew in some parts of a troubled district after fresh Hindu-Christian violence.

A woman was killed and 12 others hurt in the violence between tribespeople and Christians on Tuesday.

Kandhamal district has witnessed weeks of anti-Christian violence. BBC correspondents say the unrest has been caused by ethnic and religious tension.

Police say it is not clear what triggered the latest clash.

'Unfortunate'

A mob of tribespeople armed with guns, bows and arrows and sharp weapons attacked Christian villagers in the village of Rudangia, police said.

Christians retaliated by opening fire, they said.

A 42-year-old Christian woman died in the clash.

Police have imposed a curfew in the district's main town of Phulbani and eight other areas following the incident.

Reports of clashes between the two communities have been coming in from other parts of the district as well.

Scores of houses have been set alight and damaged, the reports say.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the fresh violence was "unfortunate" and appealed to people to stay calm.

Clashes between Hindus and Christians began in Orissa in August when a Hindu religious leader was shot dead.

Hindu groups have long accused Christian priests of bribing poor tribes and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity.

Christians say lower-caste Hindus convert willingly to escape the Hindu caste system.

A large number of Hindu Dalits (formerly known as untouchables) in the district have converted to Christianity over the past few decades.

Attacks on Christians have also been reported in the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

Correspondents say that relations are usually peaceful between Christians, who comprise 2.5% of India's 1.1 billion people and Hindus, who account for more than three-quarters of the population.