New Delhi - Nearly 50,000 schools, colleges and educational institutions run by Christian organizations and individuals across India shut down Friday to protest continuing violence against Christians in the eastern state of Orissa.

"According to our estimate, 50,000 schools and colleges and other educational institutions were closed today," said Sam Paul, spokesman of the All India Christian Council.

The council - a nationwide alliance of Christian denominations, mission agencies, institutions, federations and Christian leaders - supported the strike called by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.

At least 11 people have been killed in Hindu-Christian clashes that erupted in Orissa after a Hindu leader was killed August 23.

Paul said there were more than 5 million students in the 50,000 institutions and the protest was not merely against attacks on the Christian community but attacks on the secular fabric of India.

"Children studying in the institutions will understand that it is very important to respect all religions and such criminal acts should not be condoned," he said.

Meanwhile, protests were reported from various parts of India, including New Delhi, where scores of Christians marched.

Violence flared in Orissa after Laxmananda Saraswati, a Hindu leader from the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad group, was shot dead by suspected Maoist rebels in the central district of Kandhamal.

Hindu activists attacked Christians and torched churches alleging that Christians killed Saraswati because he was opposing religious conversion in the state. Christian organizations denied the allegations.

More than 3,000 police and security forces have been deployed to counter the violence, but attacks on churches continued and nearly 6,000 people fled from the violence-hit areas to take shelter in government camps.

"There is almost an ethnic cleansing in the state," Babu Joseph, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, told the IANS news agency.

But state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik insisted that the clashes had stopped and the situation had been brought under "complete control."

After a meeting with Christian groups Thursday night, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described the violence as a "national disgrace."

Communally sensitive Kandhamal - with a population of 600,000, including 150,000 Christians - has witnessed numerous clashes between Hindus and Christians in the past.

In one of the worst attacks on Christians in Orissa, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burned alive in 1999 by a fanatical Hindu mob that set their car on fire. (dpa)