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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
Chief Secretary Ajit kumar Tripathy (right) and Home Secretary Tarunkanti Mishra (left) addressing to press after the cabinet meeting on Monday at Bhubaneswar.
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.
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