| Indo-Asian News Service | ||||
| New Delhi, August 29, 2008 | | |||
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| Nearly 45,000 schools, colleges and other educational institutes run by Christian organisations around the country were closed on Friday to protest the continued violence against the community in Orissa. | ||||
Orissa violence: 45,000 Christian institutes shut in protest
Orissa Simmering: Persecution Continues
This is in continuation to the earlier list...
2. Pastor Bahumulya Paik of Bamandei, Patpur Police Station. Ganjam District was beaten to a point of death by a mob of around 100 people. He vomited blood and later gained conciousness and managed to flee from the place while the group was engaged in attacking the local believers. Since the hospitals were closed no medical help was available. On August 26, the police escorted him to some distance by their vehicle and left him on the way to take a bus and go away.
3. Pastor Bishnu Kumbhar and his pregnant wife of village Dutta, under Madan Rampur Police Station of Kalahandi district, were chased out. To save their lives, they ran away in the darkness and hid themselves from the attackers.
4. Pastor Susanjit Beero of Tengada Pathar under Tikabali Police Station of Phulabani, was attacked by a group of Hindutva miscreants. Along with few believers he is still reported to be taking shelter in the forest though without food and clothes from the last 48 hours.
5. Pastor Dillip Koshla of Tiangia village, under Raikia Police Station was attacked by the mob. His house and property are burned and looted by the unruly mob.
6. Pastor Birendra Harijan, of Nakapolo Church under Dharmasala Police Station of Jajpur District was beaten up badly. As the miscreants were about to set his house on fire the timely arrival of police saved the disaster.
7. Pastor Amit Pani of Ampani village, Koksora Police Station(PS) under Kalahandi district was chased out and locked in a house but they manage to escape.
8. Pastor Lebiyo Raito of Kanjamendi, Nuagam PS, Phulbani, was attacked and chased away from his house. He is still hiding in the jungle.
9. Pastor Jatan Nayak, of Bhadrak district was attacked and his house ransacked. He is in the Police protection at the moment.
10. Pastor Abinash Garjang, of Tattaguda, Malkangiriis attacked and the Church building was ransacked.
11. Pastor Aurobindo Sahu of Tumgurpada Church, Bargarh District is threatened to leave the place with dire consequences.
12. District pastor Anant Benya of Badibahal church, Luisingha PS, in Bolangir District was issued threat to attack the church on 26th August.
13. Pastor Pabitra Digal and Pastor Dharmendra Digal, of Sundargarh district have received threats to their life burning the church.
14. Pastor Thomas Bhoi of Petapanga church Raikia, Kandhamal district was attacked by the mob and their household items were damaged.
15. Pastor Ramakant Pradhan of Dotta Church and Pastor Sulaisng Barik of Hatibandh Church under Sinapali PS of Nuapada District was chased away from the village. Their whereabouts are not known.
16. Pastor Bijaya Surya of Penkam Church, Gunapur PS, Rayagada District is threatened and asked to leave the place.
17. Pastor Mothilal Sagar and his family, also along with 5 Sisters and two brothers in Madekela, Godphila block were attacked but they managed to flee and hid themselves. The miscreants are searching for them.
18. More than 15 church buildings of Believers Church alone and several churches of other denomination are damaged. The rampage is still going on unabated.
19. Church building and 60 houses in Tiangia village, Raikia, Kandhamal burnt. Two Christians named Dasarath Pradhan, Bikram Naik killed.
20. Church building was bombed and destroyed. 30 houses burnt in Tengdapathar, Tikabali, Kandhamal.
21. Church and parsonage damaged, 20 houses burnt, Two believers killed in Pettapanga, Saranggada, Kandhmal.
22. Chandrasekaharpur, BDA Church, Bhubaneswar damaged.
23. Tangupada, Bargarh District, the anti-Christians have threatened the pastor Arobindo Sahu to leave and they have a plan to destroy the newly built Church.
24. Audio Visual Team are hiding in the jungle in Chandragiri, Gajapati District because of the threats.
25. BOH (Education centre for Children) in Kuttenpalli, Bolangir District having 120 students was threatened to close down.
26. Tattaguda Church of Pastor Abinash Garjang in Baipariguda, Malkangiri demolished.
27. Bhatta Palla Church of Pastor John Naik in Madanpur, Rampur, in Kalahandi demoslished.
28. Tujung Church of Pastor Basant Digal in M. Rampur Kalahandi damaged.
29. Ladapanga Church of Pastor Rajanikanth Nayak in Daringbadi damaged.
30. The residences of Pastor Bijaya Kumar Surya, Pastor Susil Lima of Miraguda, Gunupur ransacked and looted. No police protection given.
31. The Church of Pastor Junus Digal destroyed and 180 houses of Christians burnt in Balkidadi, Kandhmal. Without food and drinking water the Christians are in the jungle from last three days.
32. The church building and all the houses of the Christians in Kurmingia of Kandhamal burnt. The Christians have fled to nearby jungles.
33. Church building and houses ransacked and later burnt in Tattaguda of Malkangiri District.
34. Churches destroyed and houses burnt along with 4 believers killed in Dadingia of Raikia, Kandhamal.
35. The church of Pastor Alif Nayak alongwith 12 houses in Ranipada, Kandhamal burnt. Pastor killed.
36. Houses burnt and Christians attacked in Madkela, Tusura in Bolangir.
37. Pastors Dandapani and Junus Diagal chased out of their place but they managed to flee to safety in nearby jungle.
38. Four incidents of attacks reported in Koraput. 39. Carmel English Medium School in Khurda threatened to close down by Hindu fundamentalists.
40. Houses (50) in Raikala. Khariapada, Udaigari were bombed by petrol bombs and are completely gutted in fire.
41. Unconfirmed reports suggests around 10-11 Christians were killed in jungles by angry and unruly mob.
42. Church in Balangir demolished.
43. Complete failure of Law and Order in violence affected areas. Police and Para-millitary forces are mere spectators.
44. 300-400 attackers burnt houses of Christians in Kurmanga, Raikia.
45. Nuagaon village dominated by around 50 Christian families completely burnt down.
46. Church in Nuagaon village burnt.
47. Grace Girls Hostel having 60-70 students in Kotagarh, Phulbani attacked by more than 1000 people. Just 10 Police personnel posted for protection were not sufficient to protect the Hostel.
48. One person hacked to death and all the houses burned in Kamaguda, Mandakia Village, Kandhamal Dist.
The fundamentalist group are going from village to village destroying Churches, burning houses, attacking and killing Christians. It is reported that thousands of extremists have been brought from Gujarat and Chhattisgarh to perpetrate this violence which has spread to all the districts of Orissa. Their agenda is to wipe out Chrisitians and Christianity from India starting from Orissa.
Christian community is saddened by the response of the Government so far to tackle the situation in Orissa that has become the boiling pot of crooked political agendas of the Sangh Parivar. EFI once again request the concerned Christians to voice their concerns at the below mentioned addresses:
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
Room No. 152,
South Block,
New Delhi, 110001
(O) Tel : +91-11-23012312
(O) Fax: +91-11-23016857
Shri Navin Patnaik
Chief Minister of Orissa
Naveen Nivas,
Aerodrome Road,
P.O.-Bhubaneswar,
District-Khurda,
Pin-751001 (Orissa)
(O) Tel: +91-0674-2531100, 2535100, 2531500
(O) Fax: +91-0674-2400100
(R) Tel: +91-0674-2590299, 2591099,2590844,2591100,2590833
Email:cmo@ori.nic.in
Shri Amarananda Pattanayak, IPS
Director General of Police
(O) Tel: +91-0671-2304451, 2306501
(O) Fax: +91-0671-2304033
Shoot at sight order in Kandhamal Dist
Violence is rampant in all the villages in Raikia, G Udayagiri, Baliguda, Tikabali blocks.
"We have issued shoot at sight order in the wake of largescale violence in some curfew-bound areas of Kandhamal district," Revenue Divisional Commissioner (southern division) Satyabrata Sahu said over phone.
The order was issued after a large number of people armed with sticks and crude weapons defied curfew restrictions and indulged in arson and violence in several places between Baliguda and Udaygiri, he said.
Widespread violence also took place in Raikia area where two persons were critically injured in an attack by a mob, said Sahu, who has been camping in the communally-sensitive district.
The residence of former director general of police John Nayak was attacked by a mob at Raikia, he said adding that the administration has received information about a large number of families from Raikia taking shelter in forest areas.
A pregnant woman, whose husband works in Bhubaneswar, has also fled to forest along with some family members, her relatives said.
Though unconfirmed reports put the toll at 14, officials confirmed nine deaths in the violence after the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on Saturday night at Jalespeta in Tumudibandh.
With continued violence sparked by the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati claiming nine lives in Orissa, more forces were sought for deployment in the communally-sensitive Kandhamal district.
"Though tension prevails in Kandhamal, the situation is improving gradually. Security forces have been able to enter inaccessible areas by removing obstacles placed by miscreants," DIG R P Koche told PTI over phone.
Several roads including that connecting Raikia and Udaygiri have been cleared, facilitating speedy and smooth force movement, he said adding that the situation in towns and urban centres came under control, while remote and inaccessible areas still remained trouble-prone.
In a bid to further step up security, as many as 12 platoons of Orissa State Armed Police were being requisitioned for deployment in tension-hit areas, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (southern division) Satyabrata Sahu said.
As Kandhamal remained on the boil, curfew continued in all major towns of the district, while prohibitory orders under Section 144 were in force in the entire district, to prevent outside elements from entering the area, he said.
In order to review the situation in the tribal dominated district, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal is scheduled to visit Kandhamal shortly, sources said.
A large number of people from areas like Raikia, Rupagaon, Chakappada, Tikabali and Tumudibandh have fled and took shelter in forests, the sources said.
As Rapid Action Force, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Orissa police force were deployed in all sensitive areas of Kandhamal, security personnel held flag marches in some places, sources said.
While four persons were killed in a bloody clash and exchange of fire between two groups at Barakhama on Tuesday, three others died in Raikia area after their houses were set afire around mid-night on Monday.
Another person was burnt to death at Rupagaon in Chakapada area during the 12-hour state-wide bandh called by saffron outfits on Monday.
As the protest against the gunning down of Saraswati and four others echoed, a young woman, identified as Rajani Majhi, was burnt to death at a missionary-run orphanage in Padampur area of Bargarh district, sources said.
AFTERMATH OF SWAMI'S KILLING : THE CHRISTIAN VICTIMS LIST
1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th, Monday, after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in Bargarh district in Orissa during a bandh called by Hindu nationalist parties.Twenty children, who were at the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest suffered serious burn injuries in the attack.
2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another person, Rasananda Pradhan, was burnt to death when his house was set ablaze at Rupa village in Kandhamal district.
3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS: During the bandh inflammatory speeches spreading hatred against the Christian workers and the community were given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support,the activists have also carried the body of Swamiji throughout the town.
4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE: Churches were attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kandhamal districts as also in the state capital, police sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in Phulbani town.
5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal was beaten up, while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal and Jitendra were burnt. Several buses at Gee Udaigiri in Baliguda were burnt.
6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at Phulbani,and several other churches at Phiringia were attacked and ransacked. Pastor D. Tatson's house was vandalized and his property burnt.
7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in Kakriguma have been targeted by the mob that reportedly damaged the Assembly Of God Church and the Philadelphia Church.
8) WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World Vision India office ransacked and the Staff has also fled to jungle for protection.
9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR PROTECTION: A police camp at Barakhama was also attacked by the Hindu fundamentalists. With several houses being burnt down and people being made homeless, many Christians,particularly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and Suna Tonga have fled into forests for their lives.
10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.
11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a disheveled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was then set afire.
12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between 24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties.
13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.
14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.
15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers' residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.
16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP'S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the compounds of Catholic Church and Archbishop's house in the heart of the Capital of the State of Orissa. They could not enter because of the police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop's House, damaging windows.
17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.
18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked and his property damaged, vehicle looted and burnt.
19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also damaged.
20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold's School (Kalinga Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.
21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places. But nothing seems safe.
22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns' residence have been damaged.
23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister's residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.
24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.
25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.
26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada, Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.
27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri, Tikabali.
28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.
29) PASTORS' HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.
30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.
31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their families.
32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians.
The government has sent forces, it is reported. A delegation of Christian leaders under the leadership of Archbishop Vincent Concessao, the President of National United Christian Forum of CBCI, NCCI and EFI, met the Home Minister Shri Shiv Raj Patil and submitted a memorandum. The Home Minister assured the delegation all necessary steps have been taken to maintain peace and harmony and protect the innocent. He also expressed his helplessness by stating that police protection cannot be given in all villages.
[This list is compiled with assistance from Archbishop's House, Bhubaneswar, John Dayal, Light Foundation and EFI News reporters and other sources]
3 persons killed in fresh violence in Orissa
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8/26/2008 11:27:55 AM
 |
| Forces attempting to curb the escalating violence in Orissa |
An indefinite curfew was today (August 26), clamped in Orissa's communally-sensitive Kandhamal district following fresh violence in the wake of the killing of VHP leader in which three persons were killed.
"We have information about death of three persons in Raikia area. The details are being collected," Revenue Divisional Commissioner of Southern Division Satyabrata Sahu told. "The situation in Kandhamal district is very tense but under control," he added.
The three persons died of asphyxiation after their houses were torched midnight last night, police sources said.
With the fresh deaths reported from Raikia, the toll in violence triggered by the gunning down of Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others on Saturday night rose to five, official sources said, adding two persons, one each in Kandhamal and Bargarh were burnt to death yesterday during the 12-hour statewide bandh.
Indefinite curfew was imposed in almost all parts of the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district including Phulbani, Tumudibandh, Baliguda, Udaygiri, Nuagaon and Tikabali as a precautionary measure and to bring the situation under control, he said.
Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were deployed in several sensitive areas of the district while schools, colleges and educational institutions remained closed, he said.
A large number of houses and churches were torched by irate mob in several areas including Nuagaon, Raikia, Udaygiri, Phiringia and Baliguda, police said.
VHP shutdown halts traffic across Orissa
BHUBANESWAR: Rail and road traffic was disrupted across Orissa on Monday and thousands of people staged demonstrations in several places as part of a statewide shutdown called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protest the killing of a leader of the organisation on Saturday.
"Train services have been affected across the state," JP Mishra, spokesperson of the east coast railway, said. "Neither passenger nor goods trains were allowed to move from stations."
Road traffic was also badly hit and many vehicles were attacked. "Protesters damaged at least five vehicles - two in Rourkela and three in the coastal district of Balasore," a police official said.
Thousands of protesters staged demonstrations and burnt tyres in several villages, towns and on national highways. Almost all shops and petrol pumps remained closed.
Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a member of VHP's central advisory committee, and four other people were killed at his Jalespata ashram, some 340 km from here, Saturday evening after more than 30 suspected Maoist rebels opened fired on them. The ashram is in Kandhamal district.
According to Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda, the attackers used "sophisticated rifles and AK-47".
Saraswati was leading a campaign against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the communally sensitive Kandhamal district. The district, with a population of around 600,000 including 150,000 Christians, has witnessed numerous clashes between Hindus and Christians in the past.
Saraswati's supporters have been holding protests since Saturday night, blocking trains and vehicles.
On Sunday, at least three prayer houses were burnt by a mob in Kandhamal and a police outpost was attacked. Ten houses in Rupagaon village were also set on fire.
The state government on Sunday ordered a judicial probe into the killings and announced compensation for the victims. Authorities also constituted a special police team to investigate the crime.
Probe ordered into ashram attack
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Prafulla Das
BHUBANESWAR: As tension continued to prevail in most parts of Orissa following the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Lakshmanananda and four others in Kandhamal district on Saturday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Mr. Patnaik, who held a review meeting at the secretariat, condemned the attack in which the religious leader and his disciples were killed by suspected naxalites. “Those guilty will be dealt with stringently,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced an ex gratia amount of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of those killed.
Mr. Patnaik appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony among different sections.
Although the police launched a combing operation in the region, there was no trace of the attackers till Sunday evening.
Tension started building up in many parts of the State by Saturday midnight when news of the killing spread. The activists of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and allied organisations blocked roads at several places.
Protests continued on Sunday and tyres were burnt and vehicles damaged. Two prayer houses were attacked in Kandhamal and Sundargarh districts.
A police outpost and few government offices were attacked in Kandhamal district even as prohibitory orders were imposed to maintain law and order.
Two detainedAt Gunjiguda in Kandhamal, two persons, allegedly involved in the attack, were caught by villagers and handed over to the police. The two were detained, police said.
Meanwhile, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and the Hindu Jagaran Samukhya gave a call to observe a statewide bandh on Monday to register their protest against the killing.
In view of the bandh call, the State government announced closure of all educational institutions.
Police have been put on high alert in sensitive pockets, Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda said.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties have demanded the dismissal of the Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government for its “failure” to prevent the killing.
Kandhamal SP placed under suspension
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 | KalingaTimes Correspondent The suspension ordered passed in the evening after criticism mounted on the government for the failure of the police to protect |
the life of Swami Lakshmanananda and four others. The Kandhamal district police had not been able to strengthen the security in the ashram of Swami Lakshmanananda despite his men informing the Tumudibandha police station about receipt of a letter with a threat to kill the Swami. According to official sources, R.P. Koche, Deputy Inspector General (Southern Range), will remain in-charge of the police administration in Kandhamal district till the appointment of another officer as SP. Kanodia was placed under suspension hours after a delegation of opposition Congress led by Leader of Opposition J.B. Patnaik and Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena met Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare and submitted a memorandum seeking dismissal of the Naveen Patnaik Government. The state government had utterly failed to maintain law and order in the state, Patnaik and Jena told reporters after meeting the Governor. The government should step down for its failure to protect the life of Swami Lakshmanananda even after the police were informed about the threatening letter. Earlier in the day, the authorities had suspended the Officer-in-Charge of Tumudibandha police station Madhusudan Jena Samanta for negligence in discharging his duties. | |
Indian Maoists kill Hindus over Christian conversions
By Jatindra Dash
BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - Suspected Maoists killed a senior Hindu leader and four others in a remote eastern Indian village, an attack that police said may be linked to a controversy over religious conversions in the area.
Armed men raided a Hindu school in Orissa's rural Kandhamal district on Saturday and killed five people, including an octogenarian leader linked to India's main opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The remote, forested region is a hotbed of religious tensions between hardline Hindus who accuse Christian priests of bribing poor tribespeople and low-caste Hindus to change their faith.
Christian groups say lower-caste Hindus who convert do so willingly to escape the highly stratified and oppressive Hindu caste system.
Tensions came to a head on Christmas Eve last year when fights broke out in which one person was killed and churches and temples were damaged.
The region is a stronghold of Maoist rebels and police say they have evidence to link the guerrillas to Saturday's attack.
"We have found a letter from the spot which indicates that it may be a Maoists attack," Kishan Kumar, the area's top government official, told Reuters, adding the automatic rifles used in the attack were similar to the ones used by the Maoists.
Police say by attacking Hindus the Maoists were trying to garner support among the region's poor tribes, most of which had converted to Christianity.
"There are instances where the rebels have threatened Hindu temples here," said Satish Gajbhiye, a senior police official.
The murdered Hindu leader was leading a local campaign to reconvert Hindus and tribal people from Christianity.
Saturday's killings have sparked tension in the area with hundreds of Hindus blocking roads and stopping trains. Thousands of policemen were deployed to maintain peace. Reports said one church was burned down by Hindu crowds.
India's constitution is secular, but most of its billion-plus citizens are Hindu. About 2.5 percent of Indians are Christians.
There have been attacks on Christians in the past in Orissa and other parts of India. In 1999, a Hindu mob killed Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two children by burning them in their car in Orissa.
(Writing by Krittivas Mukherjee; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
(For the latest Reuters news on India see in.reuters.com, for blogs see blogs.reuters.com/in)
Christians condemn violence, killing of VHP leader; Hope peace will be maintained in Orissa
All India Christian Council
A-8, Mahavir Enclave,
Telefax: 011 28042194, Email: aiccdelhi@gmail.com, www.indianchristians.in
For Immediate Release
Christians condemn violence, killing of VHP leader; Hope peace will be maintained in Orissa
New Delhi, August 24, 2008 (All India Christian Council)
The All India Christian Council is deeply concerned at the attack on an ashram near Tumudibandh in Kandhamal District of Orissa last night in which the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four of his associates were killed.
This is the latest in a series of attacks over recent months by political extremists, often called Naxalites or Maoist guerillas, which have left dozens of policemen and others dead in several districts of Orissa.
Dr. Sam Paul, aicc National Secretary of Public Affairs, said, “The Christian community in
According to media reports, the attack killed four people in addition to Saraswati. The attack involved shooting and hand grenade explosions. Saraswati was reportedly warned by the Maoists a few days prior to the incident to leave the area. (See CNN-IBN, “Naxals attack ashram, kill 5 key VHP leaders in Orissa”,
Dr. John Dayal, aicc Secretary General, said, “We are concerned at reports of communal violence in the last few hours against innocent Christians in nearby districts. We’ve heard that at least one prayer hall in Sudergarh was burnt, the van of some Catholic nuns was destroyed, and the sisters were injured. We urgently appeal to the Chief Minister, the Governor of Orissa, and the Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Shivraj Patil to take whatever steps are required to maintain peace and harmony in all areas of Orissa, to prevent further attacks on Christians, and to arrest those responsible for the deaths of Saraswati and his associates.”
Dr. P.R. Parichha, aicc Orissa state president, said, “The situation in the district was slowly returning to normal. People were engaged in rebuilding houses and settling down after a horrifying experience over Christmas 2007. Now we are afraid that the death of Saraswati will further destabilise the situation in the communally-sensitive Kandhamal district. The aicc will continue to work for peace in Orissa, one of the most undeveloped states in the country.”
The All India Christian Council (www.aiccindia.org), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The aicc is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.
Release by
Sd/-
Mr. Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary,
9868184939
Centre approves nine road projects in Odisha
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Bhubaneswar, Aug 5: Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu has approved nine road improvement and widening works in Odisha at a cost of Rs 76.58 crore under the Central Road Fund (CRF) Scheme.
According to an official release issued by the Press Information Bureau on Tuesday, an amount of Rs 1094.51 lakh has been approved for improvement of Sambalpur-Sonepur road in Bolangir district.
Further an amount of Rs 656.62 lakh has been approved for improvement to Nayagarh-Jagannathprasad-Bhojanagar road in Ganjam district.
An amount of Rs 810.35 lakh has also been approved for improvement of Nayagarh-Odogaon-Laukhal road in Sundargarh district.
A sum of Rs 1271.09 lakh has been approved for widening and improvement to Kalugaon-Bonai road for a length of 11 km in Sundargarh district.
Besides, an amount of Rs 3825.46 lakh has been approved for improvement of various stretches in Jagannathpur-Berhampur-Phulbani road and Chharichhak to Phulbani in Ganjam and Phulbani districts in the Vijayawada–Ranchi corridor.
This road which passes through the tribal belt of the district and also connects the sub-divisional headquarter town of Bhanjanagar , district headquarter town Chhatrapur, state Capital Bhubaneswar and other districts such as Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Boudh, Bolangir etc.
The road also serves as a major communication link between different villages and gram Panchayat of Bhanjanagar and Belaguntha Blocks. It also connects the historical and tourist places like Odagaon (Lord Raghunath), Sarankula (Lord Ladubaba), Buguda (Lord Biranchi Narayan), ancient monuments like Budha Khola and sanctuary of Black Buck.
Due to heavy traffic and heavy rain in subsequent years, the road has been severely damaged with depressions at a number of places and potholes.
Sale of Mohua Liquor in Kandhamal District
In a significant decision, the State Cabinet on Monday approved a cut in the stamp duty on registration of land. As per new policy the buyer of land will now pay 5 per cent as stamp duty.
Earlier, people were paying 8 per cent as stamp duty during registration of land in rural areas and 11 per cent in urban areas.
The decision will come into effect from Tuesday in all parts of the State, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy told presspersons after the Cabinet meeting.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet gave its approval to the decision to provide block grant to a total of 1200 non-government colleges and 252 high schools across the State.
Further, the Cabinet gave its green signal for sale of Mohua liquor in Kandhamal district.
The cabinet also decided to set up new guidelines for power sector and to modify the MoUs that had been signed with various private companies for setting up of power plants for availing electricity from the producers.
The Cabinet also decided to hold the monsoon session of the State Assembly from August 20.