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They spoke very softly but they were heard nationwide. Anguished by what they described as "minority bashing" by Hindu fundementalists, these of the newly created All Orissa United Christians' Forum had served a notice in Bhubaneswar that the beleaguered minority community had run out of both trust and patience. They had also announced that they would form a Rashtriya Surakhsha Vahini to protect themselves and "ensure justice".

The war cry, the first ever made by Christians, stumped the country. "It's a step to incite further tension," said Basanta Rath, organising secretary of the Orissa chapter of Viswa Hindu Parishad. Television news channels debated and newspaper editorials speculated for days on end on the ramifications of the announcement. "Will it lead to more blood letting?" they asked. "Has the breach between the two communities become irreparable?"

More than a month later, answers are still not forthcoming. And the Christians, it appears, were only issuing a warning. "We certainly need to be better equipped to stand up against all those who are out to finish us," says Ranjit Pradhan, president of the forum. But as of date, the Vahini remains a concept on paper.

Alongside nagging doubts over what the possible consequences would be if it came into being, the truth is that uncertainty dogs the fate of the proposed Vahini. The very idea has drawn sharp responses responses from within the community in Orissa.

Though reluctant to be named, prominent church leaders deride the Vahini-concept. "It is against the teachings of our scriptures,' explains one leader in Cuttack. "As Christians, we are taught to have total faith in none but the Lord. But if the Vahini comes into being, it would suggest our faith in Him has slackened and that we have greater trust in flexing our muscles," points out another.

To an extent, the announcement to form a Vahini achieved its objective: it jolted the nation and drew attention to what the Christians felt was their systematic persecution. But the unexpected spin-off has been that instead of uniting the Christians, it has left them divided.

Sceptics far outnumber those who have been enthused by the idea of Vahini. Many feel that it can only lead to stiffening of postures and more bad blood. Numerically too, the Christians are in a hopeless minority. Already at the risk of being overrun by rival fundementalists, a Vahini of their own does in no way mitigate the dangers. "In fact it might invite more systematic attacks," cautions a Bhubaneswar-based church leader.

With the Vahini proposal eliciting less than a lukewarm response from the community, the leaders of the forum have begun to scale down their tenor. "We still may have a Vahini. But its not necessary that a Vahini has to be some sort of a militant army," explains Benoy Muduli, general secretary of the forum.

The forum leaders are now at pains to explain that their motives were different. "We did plan to rock the nation and draw attention," says Swarup Patro, the forum's vice-president. "Therefore we packaged and marketed a concept, without even showing our product." Now that the purpose has been served, efforts are on instead to draw volunteers who would spread awareness about communal amity.

If the Vahini does eventually take shape, it is more likely to be a spiritual army. In hindsight then, the hype over its announcement was deliberate. But the hoopla thereafter misplaced.

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