Bhubaneswar (Orissa): Demanding tough measures to regulate activities of foreign funded NGOs operating in riot-hit Kandhamal district, VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on Friday called for an open debate on conversion, terming it as the ‘root cause’ of unrest in the tribal dominated areas.
Saraswati, attack on whom was stated to be the cause of the communal flare up in Kandhamal, said this after recording his statement before the National Human Rights Commission here. "I have told the NHRC team that conversion and foreign funding to NGOs were the reasons behind communal riots in Kandhamal," he told reporters.
"I urged NHRC to probe fake caste (ST) certificates fraudulently obtained by non-tribals. I also demanded action against the people who obtained such fake certificates and got government jobs," Saraswati said. Rejecting the state government’s claim that conversion had nothing to do with the riots, he said the government was not properly informed about the chronologies of the incidents.
He asserted that all conversions of dalits and tribals in Orissa were made by allurements like money and jobs and challenged those who claimed otherwise. Saraswati claimed conversion had been slowed in the district due to opening up of schools and hospitals by him.
Saraswati, who was attacked on his way to Brahmanigaon on December 24, said he was delaying return to his Chakapada ashram in Kandhamal district fearing escalation of tension. He would go back to his ashram after the situation became calm.
Asked whether he supported burning of churches during the violence, Saraswati alleged that the other group had uprooted nearly 1000 tribal goddesses in various villages.
Source: hindu.com
Caste, tribe, conversion make Orissa district volatile
January 1, 2008
Kandhamal (Orissa): A complex mixture of tribal-caste rivalry and resentment against conversions led to the communal clashes in Kandhamal district on December 24 during which four persons were killed and churches were burnt. Kandhamal district has 6 lakh people, of whom more than a lakh are converted Christians. Conversions though are not a new trend here.
People of the Kandha tribe constitute 80 percent of the population in Kandhamal and the remaining 20 percent belong to a scheduled caste called Paana. Though Kandhas are a majority they are socially and economically backward and most Paanas have done well after converting to Christianity. "We feel neglected here even our political representatives are all Paanas. Paanas convert to Christianity and are well off," says Kabiser Mallick, who belongs to the Kandha tribe.
This atmosphere of resentment is allegedly made worse by conversions. Christian missionaries help poor people by providing medical treatment but their critics allege they lure people to convert to Christianity. Christian missionaries reject such allegations. "People changing their religion are doing so on their own. We never tell anyone to do so," says missionary worker Birendra M C.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) allegedly fanned the resentment of Kandha tribe. When the Kandhas called for a two-day bandh on Christmas eve VHP activists allegedly took advantage of the situation. "The bandh was to press for social-economic progress but it was given a communal angle," says Suresh Mahapatra, Revenue Divisional Commissioner, Central Range, Orissa.
Source: ibnlive.com
Christians wanted to kill Swami Laxmananandji on Christmas day
December 31, 2007
 Swami Laxmananda Saraswati in hospital |
Bhubaneswar (Orissa): Hindu Jagaran Samukhya (HJS), a frontal organisation of the RSS on Wednesday blamed Congress Rajya Sabha member and World Vision chief Radhakanta Nayak for the violence and demanded immediate action against Nayak.
Addressing a Press conference HJS joint organizing secretary Basudev Barik, HJS Sampark pramukha SP Acharya, HJS State spokesperson Simanchal Khatua and HJS joint secretary Ajit Patnaik jointly condemned the attack on Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and threatened for a mass agitation over the issue. "World Vision NGO and it chief Radhakanta Nayak, who is also a Rajya Sabha member of the Congress was the main conspirator in the issue and attack on Swami Laxmananda Saraswati was a pre-planned effort by Nayak and his men," they said. State Government should impose ban on NGO, working for religious conversion, the Samukhya demanded. Asked about legal action against MP Nayak, they said that Samukhya exploring options to take legal action against those are conspiracying against the Hindus in Phulabani district.
Swami Lamananda Saraswati also accused the Congress MP Nayak for the violence and attack on him. Noted Hindu religious leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who was injured in an attack in Kandhmal district, which led to large scale violence and arson in the district has alleged that Congress MP Radhakanta Nayak was behind the attack on him. Eighty-year-old Saraswati, who led an anti-conversion movement, was shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital at Cuttack from Darinigibadi Government hospital, told reporters that a group of villagers launched an attack on him at the instruction of the Congress leader. "They attacked to eliminate me," he said adding this was for the seventh time that they failed to kill him.
Swami Saraswati, who is a member of the VHP’s ‘margadarshak mandali’, was attacked by a group of villagers while he was on the way to Brahmanigaom yesterday. His driver and personal security guard were seriously injured in the incident and his car badly damaged. While Saraswati was admitted at Darinigibadi government hospital, his security guard was rushed to M K.C.G. Medical College Hospital at Berhampur. Sources said the district administration of Kandhamal preferred to shift Saraswati to Cuttack hospital apprehending more danger in the locality due to presence of the VHP leader in Daringibadi area. VHP sources informed The Pioneer here that Swami’s health condition is improving.
(Christians wanted to kidnap Swami Laxmananandji Maharaj on 24th December and wanted to kill him on 25th, the Christmas day. Hindu organisations called for Bandh after that attack on Swamiji. In this violence not only christian churches are attacked but Christians also attacked Hindu temples but media is reporting one sided story. – Swami Vigyananand)
83 old Seer, victim of attack defends Orissa govt
December 28, 2007
Cuttack (Orissa): Describing the spate of violence in Kandhamal as a "natural reaction", Swami Laxmananda Saraswati today gave a clean chit to the Naveen Patnaik administration, saying that no government could have controlled such a "backlash".
The attack on the 83-year-old Swami on December 24 had triggered violence across the tribal-dominated district and had spread to adjoining Gajapati, too.
Though the Swami believes that the "violence was spontaneous", the attack on him "was orchestrated", to eliminate him. "And that has put the region’s Hindus on the defensive," he said, while talking to The Telegraph from the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. The leader looked weak, but well, lying on his bed at cabin number 3 at the hospital’s surgery department.
When asked if the Naveen government could have acted sooner before the violence, he said: "No government could have controlled a backlash, especially when it is spontaneous." "The key to peace in Kandhamal and adjoining regions would be the state’s reassurance to check conversion of tribals by Christian missionaries," said the Swami.
The Orissa government has already introduced a law wherein before converting, an individual has to seek police permission. The move was designed as a "deterrent" to conversion. "But the process continue just the same, though at a reduced pace, as covert operations at villages in remote areas," the Swami regretted.
The Swami, known for his untiring zeal to check conversion of tribals into Christians in the entire southern and western Orissa, has been running the Shankaracharya Sanskruta Kanya Ashram at Jalespata, 30km south of Baliguda in Khandhamal for more than three decades now.
He was attacked near Dasingbadi, 5km from Daringbadi around noon on December 24 while he was on his way to Brahmanigaon in a Marshal jeep to perform a yagna. Five others, including an APR personnel provided by the government, were accompanying him.
"It was only by gods grace that I survived," said the swami.
Naresh Kanhar (40), who managed to drive the jeep away from the spot said: "A bus was parked on the road in front of our jeep, blocking the way. A tree was cut to block our way back. They were more than 50 of them armed with axes and other weapons," said the driver.
Bhubaneswar Jani (24), the APR personnel provided by the government as a bodyguard to the Swami, admitted that the attack was "terrible".
Source: telegraphindia.com
Hindu houses set on fire by Christians in Orissa
December 27, 2007
Sampad Mahapatra
Kandhmal (Orissa): Two companies of the Central Reserve Police force have been sent to Orissa to control the situation that seems to be spinning out of control. Earlier in the day a mob allegedly set fire to several homes belonging to Hindus in Brahmanigaon area of the Kandhmal district in Orissa, even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made an unscheduled visit to the communally sensitive district.
Meanwhile, angry Hindus have reportedly gheraoed the police station. Curfew in four towns of the district, which was lifted this morning, has been re-imposed with the police anticipating more trouble. The Chief Minister and DGP Gopal Nanda are at district headquarters of Phulbani to negotiate with the tribals and leaders of Hindu and Christian communities.
Contrary to the reports coming in, the state CM has reportedly claimed that the situation has normalised to a great extent. According to the district administration, situation in some parts had improved, but tension continued in other areas such as Baliguda and Daringibadi. Many Christian families have fled their homes in Barkhama.
The Centre has asked the state government for a detailed report. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal has said that he is concerned about the situation in the state. ”If situation is not under control today, we’ll send a team. We will get the latest report by today evening. We have to get the violence under control and strict action has to be taken.
”We are taking this very seriously and hope the Centre would take it seriously as well,” said Sriprakash Jaiswal. In a related development, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) today sought a report from the state government on the violence in four towns of Kandhamal district. An NCM delegation will be visiting the trouble-hit towns of the state shortly to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, a Commission spokesperson said here.
Eleven more churches torched
Eleven churches and prayer houses were ransacked and torched by suspected saffron activists in several areas of Kandhamal district in the early hours on Thursday.
Seven churches and prayer houses were attacked and set afire in Gandapadar, Badahapanga, Bhandarapada, Pisupadar, Masapadar, Minia and Adigara under Phulbani Sadar police station area, police said.
Rev Basant Diggal alleged that he was assaulted and his motorcycle damaged by a group of miscreants in Minia area where vandals went on rampage causing damage to another church.
Similar incidents of ransacking and burning of three more churches and prayer houses took place in Bakingia, Tiangia and Kotaguda, while miscreants triggered a minor blast at another place of worship, police said. Last evening, two more churches were burnt by VHP activists. Forty-one houses belonging to Christians in Barhamanigaon were also set on fire despite a strong police presence in the area.
Communal violence rankles Orissa
The violence was sparked off on Monday when mobs led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists set ablaze churches, convents and some houses belonging to Christians.
One person died and 25 others were injured and tension is brewing in areas not conversed by curfew.
The tribals, who are opposed to granting schedule tribe status to dalit Christians have extended their 36-hour bandh call. Over a 1000 security personnel from the state police as well as central forces have been sent to the district.
The VHP claimed the violence was in retaliation of an attack on their leader Laxmananand Saraswati on Monday allegedly by a group of Christians.
The leader who escaped unhurt said the source of the conflict is religious conversion by Christian missionaries.
”They want to convert people to Christianity and convert the country into a Christian land. We are opposed to that and that is the source of all disputes and fights,” said Swami Laxmananand, leader, VHP.
There were enough indications that Christmas celebrations would be marred. A week ago, Kui Samaj, a tribal outfit announced its plan to go for a bandh on December 25 and 26. It only needed a minor communal clash in Brahamnigaon village for the VHP and the Bajrang Dal to hijack the agitation.
And by Tuesday evening, when additional forces were rushed to the trouble-torn areas, the damage had been done. Moreover, sudden telecom failure ensured that no reports from the ground reached the state capital.
(With PTI Inputs)
Source: ndtv.com
Christians blame govt for church attacks
Decebmber 26, 2007
Bhubaneswar (Orissa): The Orissa unit of All India Christian Council on Monday held the state government responsible for the attacks on churches and Christian organisations in Kandhamal district saying the action initiated by the administration was "inadequate."
"The government does not appear to have taken the matter seriously and the slackness on the part of the administration is evident," Organisation’s state unit president, Rev Pran Ranjan Parichha said.
Parichha alleged that all the trouble had been fomented by Hindu fundamentalist groups.
Demanding that more security should be provided to the troubled areas, he said that the people were living in anxiety and fear.
"This is the first time in Orissa’s history that church services could not be held on the Christmas Day despite police presence," Parichha said recalling similar incidents during Christmas celebrations in Dangs district of Gujarat a few years ago.
Curfew was imposed in four towns after a youth was killed and six churches and a minister’s houses were targeted yesterday in largescale communal violence and arson in Bhubaneswar following an attack on a VHP leader who led an anti conversion movement.
Dismissing the allegations, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (southern division), Satyabrata Sahu said that no government official asked Christians to refrain from offering services and holding special Christmas prayers at churches.
Curfew was imposed only after yesterday evening so that members of Christian community could visit churches for prayers earlier in the day, he said, adding no place of worship was targeted in the district headquarters town.
Source: expressindia.com
Attack on Hindu Seer by Christians in Orrisa; 3 arrested
December 25, 2007
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A bus set on fire by protestors goes up in flames at Baliguda in Phulbani district in Orissa state, India
Phulbani (Orissa): Tension gripped Orissa’s Kandhamal district on Monday after four people were injured in a clash between two communities and an alleged attack on a VHP leader in two separate incidents, prompting heavy force deployment in sensitive areas, police said.
Enraged over the attack on Hindu Seer Sri Laxmanananda Saraswati, a prominent anti-conversion leader in the tribal dominated district, VHP called a four-hour Orissa bandh on Tuesday from 8 am, VHP leader Umashankar Acharya said, Saraswati was injured in the incident.
Saraswati was attacked near Darsinghbadi village on his way to Brahmani village where a group clash had taken place earlier in the morning.
"The situation is completely under control. Three persons have been arrested so far and more people will be arrested this night. We are alert to face the situation," Director General of Police (DGP) Gopal Nanda said. Sources said Saraswati and his personal security officer Kishore Chandra Pradhan and his driver Naresh Kahar were admitted to Darsinghbadi Government Hospital. Eighty-year-old Saraswati had sustained injuries on his nose, they said.
Meanwhile, police planned to shift Pradhan to MKCG medical college hospital in Berhampur as his condition remained critical. Revenue Divisional Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu, who was on his way to the area, said he had asked the district administration to mobilise extra force as the situation became tense after attack on the VHP leader.
Source: indianexpress.com
