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Chidambaram offers an apology at Kandhamal
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Vinay Kumar
PHULBANI (KANDHAMAL DISTRICT): Moved by the plight of violence-affected families living in tented accommodation in three relief camps here since last August, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday apologised “for certain wrong happenings of last year.” Offering full protection to them, he urged them to return to their villages and resume normal lives.
Eight to 10 village panchayats were affected when groups claiming allegiance to extremist Hindu organisations went on the rampage targeting Dalit and tribal Christians. The attacks were a fall-out of the killing of Swami Laxmanand Saraswati.
Mr. Chidambaram took considerable effort to convince the people to go back to their villages; at the Mandakia camp, he even gave his official phone numbers, asking them to contact him freely in case they feared for their safety. “Go back to your villages, build your homes and churches and practise your religion without any fear. I am assuring you of full security,” he told them.
Many people complained that several “criminal elements” were roaming free and threatening them, asking them to convert to Hinduism.
At the Tikabali relief camp, he said: “Christians are living everywhere in the country. I went to a Christian school and a Christian college. We will protect you, you are all citizens of India, do not fear, fear is your worst enemy. Be brave, resume your normal life, send your children to schools.
Vinay Kumar
PHULBANI (KANDHAMAL DISTRICT): Moved by the plight of violence-affected families living in tented accommodation in three relief camps here since last August, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday apologised “for certain wrong happenings of last year.” Offering full protection to them, he urged them to return to their villages and resume normal lives.
Eight to 10 village panchayats were affected when groups claiming allegiance to extremist Hindu organisations went on the rampage targeting Dalit and tribal Christians. The attacks were a fall-out of the killing of Swami Laxmanand Saraswati.
Mr. Chidambaram took considerable effort to convince the people to go back to their villages; at the Mandakia camp, he even gave his official phone numbers, asking them to contact him freely in case they feared for their safety. “Go back to your villages, build your homes and churches and practise your religion without any fear. I am assuring you of full security,” he told them.
Many people complained that several “criminal elements” were roaming free and threatening them, asking them to convert to Hinduism.
At the Tikabali relief camp, he said: “Christians are living everywhere in the country. I went to a Christian school and a Christian college. We will protect you, you are all citizens of India, do not fear, fear is your worst enemy. Be brave, resume your normal life, send your children to schools.
Home Minister P Chidambaram to visit Kandhamal
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By: Babu Thomas
Riot-stricken Kandhamal will today welcome one of India's top government official who will take stock of the situation in the communally sensitive region.
The Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is scheduled to travel Orissa beginning June 25, official sources said.
During the two-day visit, Chidambaram who handles one of the most high profile ministry after the Prime Minister, will visit Kandhamal and Koraput where he will review the rehabilitation and security measures taken.
Koraput became part of the schedule after it witnessed heightened Maoist activity in recent weeks.
The cabinet minister of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has expressed grave concern over the chaotic law and order situation in the state, which will be discussed with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Chidambaram is also expected to visit relief camps where more than 2,000 people have taken shelter. The few thousands are the remnants of 50,000 who fled their homes after violence broke out with the murder of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati.
According to sources, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will request for the extension and addition of para military forces to guard the relief camps and other Maoist affected areas in the state.
By: Babu Thomas
Thursday, 25 June 2009, 16:46 (IST)
Riot-stricken Kandhamal will today welcome one of India's top government official who will take stock of the situation in the communally sensitive region.
The Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is scheduled to travel Orissa beginning June 25, official sources said.
During the two-day visit, Chidambaram who handles one of the most high profile ministry after the Prime Minister, will visit Kandhamal and Koraput where he will review the rehabilitation and security measures taken.
Koraput became part of the schedule after it witnessed heightened Maoist activity in recent weeks.
The cabinet minister of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has expressed grave concern over the chaotic law and order situation in the state, which will be discussed with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Chidambaram is also expected to visit relief camps where more than 2,000 people have taken shelter. The few thousands are the remnants of 50,000 who fled their homes after violence broke out with the murder of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati.
According to sources, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will request for the extension and addition of para military forces to guard the relief camps and other Maoist affected areas in the state.
Steps taken to restore normalcy in Kandhamal not enough: NCM
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Press Trust of India / Bhubaneswar June 15, 2009, 16:02 IST
The National Commission for Minorities today said the Orissa government had failed to take "enough" steps to restore normalcy in Kandhamal district where communal riots had broken out in December 2007 and again in August 2008. "Steps taken to restore complete normalcy in Kandhamal are not enough though the situation there has improved," NCM Vice-Chairman M P Pinto told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Since about 1900 out of over 20,000 people were still in relief camps, it showed that complete normalcy was yet to be restored in Kandhamal, Pinto said.
"It is the duty of the government to ensure that not a single person remains in relief camps, but 1900 people are still there," he said. The NCM would also recommend to the Centre to take measures, including the state's demand for retaining the CRPF personnel already deployed for three more months for restoring complete normalcy in Kandhamal, he said.
To a question on possibility of violence erupting in the district in the event of withdrawal of central security forces, he said: "we will look into the matter while making a recommendation to the Centre."
During the meeting, the chief minister pointed out that despite the state government's request, the Centre was set to withdraw the CRPF from Kandhamal by June end, sources said.
Of the 53 companies (nearly 5300 personnel) deployed in Kandhamal, the Centre has withdrawn 48 companies, while the remaining five were set to leave the district in the next fortnight.
"The state government told Pinto to ensure that at least 10 companies of CRPF were needed in Kandhamal," a senior police official said.
Communal violence erupted in Kandhamal in August last year following the killing of VHP leader Laxmananda Saraswati. At least 43 people were killed and scores of churches damaged in the violence targeting minority communities.
Describing implementation of a package for rebuilding vandalised churches as the first of its kind in the country, Pinto said the state had already given Rs 25 lakh for repiar of churches.
The NCM vice-chairman also met Governor M C Bhandare, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy and senior officials.
Press Trust of India / Bhubaneswar June 15, 2009, 16:02 IST
The National Commission for Minorities today said the Orissa government had failed to take "enough" steps to restore normalcy in Kandhamal district where communal riots had broken out in December 2007 and again in August 2008. "Steps taken to restore complete normalcy in Kandhamal are not enough though the situation there has improved," NCM Vice-Chairman M P Pinto told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Since about 1900 out of over 20,000 people were still in relief camps, it showed that complete normalcy was yet to be restored in Kandhamal, Pinto said.
"It is the duty of the government to ensure that not a single person remains in relief camps, but 1900 people are still there," he said. The NCM would also recommend to the Centre to take measures, including the state's demand for retaining the CRPF personnel already deployed for three more months for restoring complete normalcy in Kandhamal, he said.
To a question on possibility of violence erupting in the district in the event of withdrawal of central security forces, he said: "we will look into the matter while making a recommendation to the Centre."
During the meeting, the chief minister pointed out that despite the state government's request, the Centre was set to withdraw the CRPF from Kandhamal by June end, sources said.
Of the 53 companies (nearly 5300 personnel) deployed in Kandhamal, the Centre has withdrawn 48 companies, while the remaining five were set to leave the district in the next fortnight.
"The state government told Pinto to ensure that at least 10 companies of CRPF were needed in Kandhamal," a senior police official said.
Communal violence erupted in Kandhamal in August last year following the killing of VHP leader Laxmananda Saraswati. At least 43 people were killed and scores of churches damaged in the violence targeting minority communities.
Describing implementation of a package for rebuilding vandalised churches as the first of its kind in the country, Pinto said the state had already given Rs 25 lakh for repiar of churches.
The NCM vice-chairman also met Governor M C Bhandare, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy and senior officials.
Punjab National Bank to leverage technology for business growth
Hrusikesh Mohanty / Kolkata/ Berhampur June 11, 2009, 0:00 IST
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Punjab National Bank (PNB), the country’s second largest public sector bank aims to reach out to the customers in rural areas of the country through banking correspondents and also on the back of technology enabled services like biometric smart cards.
We are not in favour of opening of the traditional bank branches, rather we want the banking facilities to reach the door steps of the people in rural areas”, said KC Chakrabarty, chairman and managing director of PNB.PNB has opened its first technology enabled branch on a pilot basis at Daringibadi in south Orissa’s Kandhamal district. Depending on the success of this branch, PNB would open similar branches in other parts of the country, Chakrabarty told Business Standard.
The PNB chairman was here to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony of the bank’s Farmers’ Training Centre at Karapalli, about 20 km from here.
The customers of PNB in the rural areas are issued biometric smart cards. With the help of these smart cards, the customers can make transactions at their doorsteps without going to the bank’s branch.
PNB’s business correspondent who travels in the villages is provided with a point of transaction (POT) machine. The system provides receipt record to the customers instantly.
“In the next four years, the bank will concentrate on spreading its business through the business correspondents in rural areas, where low value but high volume transactions take place” Chakrabarty said.
Despite harnessing of technology enabled transactions, the bank would open 115 more branches in strategic locations across the country in the current fiscal, he added.
Ruling out any impact of the global financial meltdown on the bank’s business growth, Chakrabarty claimed PNB had reported a 59 per cent jump in its net profit at Rs 865 crore in 2008-09.
The total income of PNB rose by 38 per cent to reach Rs 6,098 crore. The net profit of the bank stood at Rs 3,091 crore by the end of March 31, 2009.
PNB aimed to grow at the rate of 25 per cent and 22 percent on deposits and advances respectively in 2009-10. On the advances side, the bank has stressed on agriculture, SME (small and medium enterprises) and education loans, he said.
Orissa: Hindu extremists burn three Christian homes in Kandhamal
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by Nirmala Carvalho
The victims identified the ring leaders, but the police have advised them against naming him on the report. The attack took place on May 31st, the very day the armies sent to protect Christians in the area withdrew.
by Nirmala Carvalho
The victims identified the ring leaders, but the police have advised them against naming him on the report. The attack took place on May 31st, the very day the armies sent to protect Christians in the area withdrew.
Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - Three Christian houses, were set on fire by Hindu extremists in Sirsapanga village of Kandhamal, (Orissa). The episode took place on May 31st in the evening, the very day the Central reserve police force (Crf), sent to the area to protect the Christians, began their phased withdrawal as mandated by the central government. The incident seems aimed at stopping from Christians returning to their villages.
The three houses belong to Manoj Pradhan, Lankeswar and Sunil Digal and lie only 3 km from the headquarters of the Crpf. Eyewitnesses report that the extremist group celebrated the police withdrawal by attacking the homes. Deployed for months across the region to halt assaults and another pogrom of the Christians, the New Delhi government decided to withdraw the Crpf. The Orissa governor, Naveen Patnaik, has however asked the Minister for Internal Affairs Chidambaram to leave the last 10 companies - circa 1000 men – at least for another three months.
The withdrawal coincides with the closure of the refugee camps and the Orissa governments appeal to the Christians to prepare for their return to their home villages. On June 5th the district administration in Kandhamal organised a peace meeting between the Christians in the camps and the communities of their local villages. Fr. Bijay Pradhan, parish priest in Raikia, sees in the burning of the three homes in Sirsapanga “an attempt to stop this”.
Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (Gcic), explains that “The Christians from Sirsapanga village have not returned to the village, they are still in the Refugee camps. The administration is keen that the people go back to the villages and be resettled, so occasionally, the Christians go to their homes and try to make some temporary repairs. This is being objected to by the dominant community, and the burning of the three Christians homes is an attempt to control our people”.
The situation is still unstable. The three owners of the burned houses in Sirsapanga have presented official reports to the police. According to Fr.Ajay Kumar Singh, Director of Jan Vikas, Social Action Initiative “the gang was led by Dilu Mohanty, who is mastermind behind attacks against Christians in Raikia and G.Udayagiri”. The victims identified him in First Information Report. “But the police – continues Fr. Singh – asked them to change tehir report ommitting the extremist agng leaders name”.
“Culprits [of the violence] continue to roam about freely, - concludes Fr. Pradhan - and some of them threaten our people that if they don’t withdraw their police reports against them, they will not be able to return to their villages”.
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