The barbaric incident of Friday night in which an Australian missionary and his two sons were burned to death is an extension of the systematic attack on Christian community elsewhere in the country and part of a larger conspiracy by the some Hindu fundamentalist groups.

It appears that the miscreants, whom the DGP B B Panda says are suspected activists of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, were well aware of the annual `jungle camp' of the tribal Christians and had meticulously planned their operation. The camp is an annual feature here for the past few years.

It is suspected that the miscreants were in constant touch with some villagers who were opposed to conversions that are part of thesecamps. This group is believed to have provided logistical support for the crime.

According to eyewitness accounts, the miscreants torched two station wagons parked in front of the church leaving the tribal Christians and the church property unharmed -- which leads to the theory that they were deliberately targetting only the missionary to spread panic among the missionaries for leading tribals to conversion.

What also bolsters the aforementioned fact is that the miscreants actually saw to it that the fire did not spread to the nearby thatched houses, and at the same time prevented the residents from rescuing the missionary.

Nimain Hansda (35), driver of one of the two vehicles told this writer that a few of the men were armed with wooden sticks while others carried torches.

Nearly 300 tribal Christians from different parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore and Bhadrak districts had gathered for the jungle camp and many had witnessed the incident but no one confessed to knowing any of the gang. Itcould also be construed from talking to locals like Mathai Marandi (24), who housed many of those come for the camp, that there was there is no apparent tension between the Christians and Hindus in the region. Rolia Soren of the village averred that barring occasional minor conflicts that were dealt at the village level there was no disharmony between the two communities.

Soren also said that they turned to Christianity of their own will. He, however, admitted that many tribals were taking to Christianity every year during the jungle camp.