2007 Orissa violence - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Religious violence in Orissa refers to civil unrest and riots in the remote forest region surrounding Kandhamal

Kandhamal

Kandhamal is a district of the state of Orissa, India. The district headquarters of the district is Phulbani.-History:The Kandhmal district was created on 1 April 1993 from the former Boudh-Kandhmal district as a result of district reorganization in the state of Orissa.-Communal unrest and...

in the Indian state of Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

. Parts of Kandhamal are tribal reservations where only tribal people can own land. Tribals and tribal land are protected by “The Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act”. The largest community in Kandhamal is the Kandha tribe. Most Kandha tribal people follow tribal religions or Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

. However, the socio-economic and political landscape is dominated by the second largest community non-tribal Panna who are mostly Christian

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

. The region is also home to a Maoist terror group which is the largest terror group operating against India and responsible for 3338 deaths in India in five years from 2004 to 2008. Maoist has proclaimed Hindu nationalist organizations to be their natural enemy and many local Kandhamal terrorists are Panna-caste-Christians. Major Issues in Kandhamal are Violation of "The Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act” like forcible occupation of tribal land, fake issuance of tribal certificates, illegal building of places of worship mostly churches on tribal land etc., religious conversion

Religious conversion

Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...

s, re-conversions and terrorism. This has also resulted in Civil unrest and tensions in 1986, 1994 and 2001.

Historical background of conversions

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

missionary

Missionary

A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...

Friar Odoric visited India in the 14th Century and wrote about his visit to Puri

Puri

Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...

in a journal which he later published in Europe. In the journal, Odoric wrote in detail about a huge chariot in Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

which taken out annually rathyatra. According to Odoric, people sacrificed themselves to the Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

God. The Friar's account of the human sacrifice spread throughout Europe and by the 19th century the word 'juggernaut' began to be associated with an object of such proportions capable of destroying everything in its path. At the time Orissa was known in Europe as the region where the oft-mentioned Juggernaut

Juggernaut

A juggernaut in colloquial English usage is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as mercilessly destructive and unstoppable.Originating in ca...

was located.

Baptist Christian missionaries first came to Orissa in 1822 during the British rule.

As one of the poorest regions of India, Orissa has been fertile ground for missionary work. In several districts the people have been open to conversion, where they today form a significant fraction of the population.

0. R. Bachelor gives a description of missionary work in Orissa in 1856:

"OUR first missionaries. Brethren Phillips and Noyes, with their wives, having arrived in India, spent the first six months, while engaged in the study of the language, laboring in connection with the English General Baptist missionaries; ...They preached and distributed books as extensively as they were able, and there laid the foundation for our boarding-school system. Six starving children were given them by their parents or relatives, and with them our school commenced.... Not long after, others were rescued from death, in a time of famine 5 and their number increased to fifty."

The missionaries ran into opposition from the local Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

community who opposed their work:

"Another obstacle is found in the power and in fluence of the Brahmans, the hereditary priests of Hinduism. They are the most intelligent, the best educated, and the most influential class.... They will oppose to the uttermost, both with their legitimate influence and their ecclesiastical authority, the introduction of a system that must necessarily subvert their power and deprive them of the support and confidence of the people."

This marked the beginning of the confrontation between the two communities. 0. R. Bachelor expressed satisfaction at the achievements of missionaries in the first few decades:

"Where for ages past the heathen trod in idolatrous

Idolatry

Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...

procession, where heathen rites and ceremonies from time immemorial had been celebrated, there a new song is sung, and the God of the Christian is, we hope, worshipped in spirit and in truth"

After India's independence

The communal disharmony arose even before Indian independence in 1947 on aforementioned issue of religious conversion. Conversions have been legislated by the provisions of the Freedom of Religion Acts (acts replicated in numerous other parts through India). Orissa was the first provinces of independent India to enact legislation in regards to religious conversions. The Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, mentions that no person shall “convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious faith to another by the use of force or by inducement or by any fraudulent means”. Christian missionaries have argued that spreading their faith is a religious duty of Christianity. Christian missions have been in action in Orissa among the tribals and backward Hindu castes

OBC

OBC is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, including:*OBC , the DJ/Rapper duo consisting of NowWeJankin and Tweed Blazer*OBC secret society, a secret society at the University of North Carolina at Asheville...

from the early years of the previous century. Hindus have alleged that the increase in the number of Christians in Orissa has been a result of exploitation of illiteracy and impoverishment by the missionaries in contravention of the law, instead of free will

Free will

"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...

Conversion controversy

Behind the clashes are long-simmering tensions between equally impoverished groups: the Kandha tribe, who are 80% of the population, and the Pana

Pana

In Inuit mythology, Pana was the god who cared for souls in the underworld before they were reincarnated.Pana also means "snow knife" in Inuktitut.Pana means "girlfriend; unmarried woman" in Lithuanian....

. Both are original inhabitants of the land. The Indian tradition of 'untouchability', where Dalit

Dalit

Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...

s, so-called 'lower caste' people, are subject to social and economic discrimination is outlawed in the Indian constitution. The prejudices remain and 'conversion' out of 'untouchability' has been a push factor for millions of such people to escape from their circumstances through joining other religions. The Panas have converted to Christianity in large numbers and prospered financially . Over the past several decades, most of the Panas have become Dalit Christians.

Hindu nationalist groups have blamed the violence on the issue of religious conversion. Conversions have been legislated by the provisions of the Freedom of Religion Acts, replicated in some of the states in India. Orissa was the first state of independent India to enact legislation on religious conversions. The Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, stipulates that 'no person shall “convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious faith to another by the use of force or by inducement or by any fraudulent means”'. Hindus claim the Christian missionaries were converting poor tribal people by feeding them beef

Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...

, which is taboo

Taboo

A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...

in Hinduism. Also, the missionaries would upgrade the mud houses of the converts into brick-lime. Hindus have further alleged that the increase in the number of Christians in Orissa has been a result of exploitation of illiteracy and impoverishment by the missionaries. The Census of India shows that Christian population in Kandhamal grew from around 43,000 in 1981 to 117950 in 2001. Conversion from Hinduism is frowned upon by right-wing parties such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad

Vishva Hindu Parishad

' , which is usually known more simply as the VHP, is an international Hindu organization, which was founded in India in 1964. Its slogan is "धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः Dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ", which is supposed to mean "Dharma protects its protector"...

(VHP).

Staines killing

Graham Staines

Dr. Graham Stuart Staines was an Australian Christian missionary who along with his two sons Philip and Timothy were burnt to death by a gang while sleeping in his station wagon at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district in Orissa, India on January 1999...

was an Australian missionary working with the Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj

Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj

The Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj was established in 1895 at the instance of the then-Maharaja of Mayurbhanj. It is a registered Non-Government Organization in India. The society is also registered in Australia, and has run the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home since 1982.-See also:* Graham...

, an Australian missionary society. On the night of 22 January 1999, he was sleeping in his station wagon

Station wagon

A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...

when it was set afire. Graham and his two sons, ten-year-old Philip and six-year-old Timothy, were killed.

Dara Singh

Dara Singh (murderer)

Dara Singh is a Bajrang Dal member who was convicted for leading the religious mob who murdered Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, Philip and Timothy on 22 January 1999...

, a Hindu fanatic from Etawah

Etawah

Etawah is a city on the Yamuna River in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District. The city was an important center for the Revolt of 1857 . Also is the place of sangam or confluence between Yamuna and Chambal...

in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

, was arrested for the crime. On 22 September 2003 a court appointed by the Central Bureau of Investigation

Central Bureau of Investigation

The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...

sentenced Dara Singh to death and 12 others to life imprisonment for the murders.

Dara Singh's connections to the Bajrang Dal

Bajrang Dal

The Bajrang Dal , a hardline and militant Hindu organization in India, is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and is based on the ideology of Hindutva. Founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, India, it has since spread throughout India...

drew suspicions of a larger conspiracy. However, the Wadhwa Commission ruled out the direct involvement of any organisation in the killings.

In May 2005, the Orissa High Court commuted Singh's sentence to life imprisonment.

Incident at Brahmanigaon, Phulbani on 24 December

On 24 December 2007 a group of 150-200 people in the town of Brahmanigaon, in Phulbani District, arrived at the town market and demanded that an arch put across the road by Christians be removed even though the Christian community had received official permission for putting up the structure. The Hindu protesters argued that the arch along with a tent set up to organize a Christmas function was sought to be erected on the very site used by the Hindus to celebrate the Durga Puja festival in October. Protestors then sought to close the weekly market and attempted to close all the shops in the area. The Christian shopkeepers refused to comply with this leading to an outbreak of violence. More than 20 shops were looted and
destroyed. Three persons were killed: one Christian, one Hindu while the identity of the third was not established.

Attack on Swami Laxmanananda

The violence was compounded when news spread that Hindu monk Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati had been attacked by Christian youth enroute to the spot of the confrontation. The Swami had stated that he had left for Brahmanigaon to boost the “morale of the majority community" The National Commission for Minorities in its report stated that this was "indicative of his desire to exacerbate communal tensions".

The Swami's car had been blocked by a bus belonging to Mr. Sugriba Singh, Panna Christian leader and BJD Member of Parliament (Lower House) and the Swami was attacked on that spot injuring him, his driver and a security guard. In his statement the Swami blamed Mr. Radha Kanta Nayak, Congress Member of Parliament (Upper House) and chief of Christian group World Vision. This led to further clashes between Hindus and Christians.
The authorities imposed a curfew in order to control the situation. Concerned with rising violence, after the assault on the Swami, some Dalit Christian

Dalit Christian

In the late 1880s the Marathi word 'Dalit' was used by Mahatma Jotiba Phule for the outcasts and Untouchables who were oppressed and broken by Hindu society....

leaders lodged a complaint with the Police for protection.

Intervention by CRPF

By 30 December, rioting was brought under control by the security forces such as the CRPF. The total number of security personnel deployed was about 2,500 police and paramilitary. The total number of people taking shelter in relief camps increased to 1200.

Further violence

On 1 January 2008 further violence was reported at several places. Police said at least 20 houses and shops were torched at Phiringia, Khajuripada, Gochapada and Brahmanigaon by rioters on Tuesday night (1 January 2008)

According to a fact-finding team of the Orissa state chapter of the All India Christian Council (AICC), the violence in Kandhamal around Christmas time was perpetrated by Hindu nationalist (Hindutva) groups that killed at least four Christians and burned 730 houses and 95 churches. Hundreds of displaced Christians were in various relief camps set up by the state government. There were also reports of houses of Hindus being burnt.

A member of India's National Integration Council said that
Hindu leader Saraswati was holding rallies in Kandhamal. This member attributed the destruction of Christian (Dalit) homes and resulting economic impoverishment to Saraswati.

Jacob Pradhan, general secretary of the Kandhamal district chapter of the Christian Endeavour Union, told Compass that around 100 houses belonging to Hindus were burnt in Brahmanigaon, Godapur, Barakhama and some other villages on December 26 and 27. Pradhan, who visited Brahmanigaon and Godapur villages to take stock of the situation, suspected that these houses were torched by sections of “misguided Christians” possibly incited by Maoists.

Swami Lakshmanananda murder

On the evening of Saturday, 23 August 2008, the octogenarian Swami Lakshmanananda

Swami Lakshmanananda

Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati was a Hindu monk and a highly revered spiritual leader who lived a life dedicated to tribal welfare. The Swami was a native of Gurujanga village in Talcher and a tribal himself. Over four decades ago, he left his wife and one year old son to become monk, and moved to...

Saraswati, a leader of Vishwa Hindu Parishad was killed at his Jalespata ashram in Kandhamal

Kandhamal

district in Orissa, along with four others; three fellow leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and a boy. The attackers, estimated at thirty gunmen, were suspected of being Maoist insurgents. Both the manner of attack and a letter found at the attack provided the basis for this. The government announced a special investigative probe into the attack.

Kandhamal Riots

However, Hindu groups in the state, including the BJP, blamed Christians for killing Lakshmanananda. They cited Lakshmanananda's claims that Christians were trying to eliminate him for his opposition to conversion, and had attacked him eight times before.

On August 25–28, Hindu mobs, allegedly incited by leaders like Manoj Pradhan

Manoj Pradhan

Manoj Pradhan is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected from the G. Udayagiri assembly constituency from the state of Orissa. He has been convicted in two cases of murder during the Kandhamal riots of 2008, in which 38 people were killed and more than 25,000 tribal...

, an elected state legislator from the Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...

, set fire to many Christian settlements, and at least 38 people were killed.
In addition, more than 25,000 Christians were forced to flee their villages "after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs."
On 28 August, a letter of denial was received by a some media

News media

The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...

outlets from a Maoist group. While the letter denied that the Central Committee of the Kotagarha branch of the Maoists had approved the attack, it claimed that some Maoists may have been lured by "nefarious elements" to launch the attack. Sources within the police force have said that Maoists could have carried out the operation Soon after the appearance of the aforementioned letter, Azad, a leader of the Maoist People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, claimed responsibility for the murder of Lakshmanananda. Azad was suspected by the police of leading the attack himself. On 9 September 2008 the Maoists, who work underground, made an official press release claiming responsibility for the killing of Lakshmanananda. Many Maoist sympathizers of south Orissa had initially denied the role of CPI-Maoist in the murder of VHP leaders that sparked off communal violence in Kandhamnal district. Communist Party of India (Maoist)

Communist Party of India (Maoist)

The Communist Party of India is a Maoist political party in India which aims to overthrow the government of India through violent means. It was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the People's War, and the Maoist Communist Centre . The merger was announced to the public on October...

leader Sabyasachi Panda claimed that they killed Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples at his Jalespeta ashram on 23 August.
On 7 October 2008, the Orissa police announced they arrested three Christians in connection with the murder of the Swami.

On 16 October in an in interview to PTI the IG police Mr Arun Ray told that "Maoists were given money to train certain youth of a particular community to eliminate Saraswati," The plan to eliminate Lakshmanananda was made immediately after the December 2007 communal violence in Kandhamal, he added. Elaborating the probe by the crime branch, Ray said investigations also showed that a group had collected money from some villages in Kandhamal which was given to the Maoist group to train their youth for the purpose. The police said that they already arrested three persons, including two Christian tribal's and others who belong to the extremist groups and efforts were now on to arrest the other accused.

Kandhamal Riots in Orissa Politics

At the time of the mob killings in Kandhamal in 2008, the Orissa government of Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik is an Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Orissa, India and the chief of Biju Janata Dal, a regional political party in Orissa.-Personal life:...

was a coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

. Consequently, in the immediate aftermath of the riots, the government did not condemn the Hindu groups who are ideologically linked with the BJP. However in the runup to the 2009 elections

Indian general election in Orissa, 2009

The Indian general election, 2009 in Orissa were held for 21 seats with the state going to polls in the first two phases of the general elections. The major contenders in the state were the Third Front, Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party...

, Patnaik broke his ties with the BJP, saying that "the alliance in the state had to be broken because it became impossible for him to stay with the saffron party after the Kandhanmal riots which "horrified the entire world".
In November 2009, after winning the elections without the BJP coalition, re-elected chief minister of Orissa Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik is an Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Orissa, India and the chief of Biju Janata Dal, a regional political party in Orissa.-Personal life:...

, admitted that Hindu rightist organizations Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal

Bajrang Dal

, as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...

were involved in organizing the Kandhamal violence in which at least 38 people were killed.

BJP MLA convicted for multiple murders in Kandhamal riots

On 29 June 2010, a fast court set up after the Kandhamal riots found Manoj Pradhan

Manoj Pradhan

, a Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

politician and a Member of the Legislative Assembly

Member of the Legislative Assembly

A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....

of Orissa, guilty of murder of Parikhita Digal, a Christian from Budedi village who was killed by the mob on August 27, 2008
. Manoj Pradhan who was nominated by the BJP while imprisoned pending trial, was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment. However, pending his appeal, he was granted bail
by the High court on July 6. A number of others have also been sentenced in riot-related cases.

On 9 September 2010, another judge found Pradhan guilty in the murder of Bikram Nayak from Budedipada on August 26, 2008. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment in this case.

These are two of the 12 cases relating to the Kandhamal riots in which Manoj Pradhan has been charged; there are two other murder cases yet to be decided.

Rape of a Nun

On 30 September, various news sources reported the case of rape

Rape

Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...

which occurred on 25 August. The incident took place at K. Nuagaon in Kandhamal district. While a police complaint was lodged soon afterwards, no action was taken for over a month, adding to accusations of police misconduct. Eventually, four men were arrested for the attack, and a senior police office suspended over the delayed investigation. Police sources, as reported in The Financial express, said: “Though the nun had denied the rape allegation during recording of her statement, she later given a written complaint alleging that she was raped by one person from among the mob”. During a press conference she said that a group of unidentified persons, dragged her along with Fr Thomas Chellan to the deserted Jana Vikas building. The priest was doused with petrol and beaten up. She reported that the mob paraded her on the streets in the presence of a dozen policemen. After the complaint was launched, police had a medical examination of the nun carried out, which showed she had been raped. Police sent the clothes of the said nun to State Forensic Laboratory for further verification. Kandhamal police chief Praveen Kumar confirmed the rape. Police arrested nine people in connection with the crime while the nun in case was in hiding for fear of reprisals. The Crime branch took charge of the probe following a government decision after the medical report, which was collected 38 days after it was carried out.

On 22 October 2008, the Supreme court of India

Supreme Court of India

The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...

, rejected Sister Meena Lalita's appeal for a Central Bureau of Investigation

Central Bureau of Investigation

(CBI) probe and asked her to look at an identity parade of those accused to identify the culprit with state police.

On 25 October 2008, Sister Meena Lalita appeared before the media for the first time, describing her experience and demanding a CBI probe into the incident. She alleged that the police had been "friendly" with the attackers. She said she went into hiding after the attack to protect herself from Hindutva extremists but decided to come forward after the Supreme Court turned down her initial request for a CBI inquiry. Archbishop of Cuttack, who earlier filed a petition seeking directions to the CBI probe into the alleged rape of the nun by the Bajrang Dal

Bajrang Dal

activists. Reuters reported the nun's media conference under the headline '40 men gang-raped me, says nun'; though she had made no such statement.

Christian orphanage attacked

To protest the five killings of Hindus including that of Swami Lakshmananda, the Vishva Hindu Parishad

Vishva Hindu Parishad

(VHP) called for a statewide shutdown on Monday, 25 August 2008. On the same day, rioters attacked a Christian orphanage at Khuntpalli village in Bargarh

Bargarh

Bargarh, is a town and a municipality in Bargarh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District.- Geography :...

district. An employee and prospective convert of the orphanage, a local Hindu, was killed when the orphanage was set on fire.

The statewide protest by the VHP and Bajrang Dal

Bajrang Dal

against the five murders, turned violent and was retaliated to by Christians. Amit Sharma of the VHP said Hindu people in the area had taken the death of the Swami "very seriously, and now they are going to pay them back."
A curfew was imposed in all towns in Kandhamal. Despite this, violence continued in Phulbani, Tumudibandh, Baliguda, Udaygiri, Nuagaon and Tikabali towns.
Many others fled into the jungle. All nine towns in the district were under a curfew, and the police had license to shoot.

On 31 August 2008 violence continued in several parts of the state. As a result curfew was imposed in Jeypore town of Orissa's Koraput district. Five police personnel were injured in mob violence. The state government sought additional paramilitary forces to combat the continuing violence.

On 1 September 2008 Government of Orissa

Government of Orissa

The Government of Orissa also known as the State Government of Orissa, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Orissa and its 30 districts...

claimed the situation was under control. However, 558 houses and 17 churches and prayer halls were burnt in riots. 543 houses were burnt in the worst hit Kandhamal district. 12,539 people were fed in 10 relief camps, 783 people got the facilities in two relief camps in Rayagada district. In all, 12 companies of para-military forces, 24 platoons of Orissa State Armed Police, two sections of Armed Police Reserve forces and two teams of Special Operation Group (SOG) were deployed to control the riots. On 4 September 2008 in Tikabali, Kandhmal over 300 Hindu tribal women attacked a relief camp for the Christian riot victims. The rioters were protesting Christians' having provisions in relief camps while the Hindu community was not so provided.

On 7 September 2008 VHP leader Praveen Togadia announced that an All-India agitation would be launched if the killers of Lakshmananda were not arrested. The Church in turn demanded dismissal of the state government.

On 15 September 2008, NDTV

NDTV

NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...

reported attacks on two Hindu temples in Orissa's Sundergarh

Sundergarh

Sundergarh , also spelled as Sundargarh, is a city in Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Sundergarh District.-Geography:Sundargarh is located at . It has an average elevation of 243 metres .-History:...

district. One was attacked on the night of 14 September, and the other 2 weeks earlier.

In November 2008, Christian aid workers in Orissa accused a Hindu organisation of offering food, alcohol and money to mobs to kill Christians and destroy their homes. A US-based Christian charity claimed that Hindu extremists had put a price on the heads of Christian leaders. This claim was made after two workers from the Hindu organisation were allowed entry to the UK.

Political fallout

The ruling government of Orissa, headed by Chief Minister

Chief Minister

A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...

Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik is an Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Orissa, India and the chief of Biju Janata Dal, a regional political party in Orissa.-Personal life:...

, was a coalition of the Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

(BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal

Biju Janata Dal

The Biju Janata Dal is a state political party of the Indian state of Orissa led by Naveen Patnaik, son of former state chief minister Biju Patnaik. It was founded on 27 December 1997.-History:...

(BJD). In the 147-member state assembly the BJD-BJP combine has 93 members, 32 of whom are from the BJP.

Some BJP legislators blamed the government for not providing adequate protection to Saraswati, despite other attempts on his life. They called for withdrawing support from the government, which would lead to its collapse.

On Wednesday 4 September 2008, India's Supreme Court issued an order on a petition filed by Archbishop

Archbishop

An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

Raphael Cheenath seeking a CBI enquiry and dismissal of the state government. The order asked the Orissa state government to report on steps taken to stop a wave of communal rioting that has claimed at least 16 lives. The supreme court also asked the Naveen Patnayak government to file an affidavit by 4 September explaining the circumstances under which it allowed VHP leader Praveen Togadia to carry out a procession with the Saraswati's ashes, an act that would clearly inflame further communal tension.
Togadia said that he never proposed to carry the "ashes" of Saraswati and alleged that Archbishop Raphael Cheenath had "lied under oath to the apex court". The dead body of Swamiji was not cremated as his was a samadhi, where a holy man is entombed on death. So the claims of the 'asthi-kalash yatra' (carrying of ashes), were not true.

Total damage

More than 18,000 were injured and 50,000 displaced. Another report said that around 11,000 people are still living in relief camps, as of October 2008. Some of the tribals even fled away to border districts in neighbouring state Andhra Pradesh and took shelter in churches of those districts. 310 villages were affected with 4,640 homes, 252 churches, and 13 educational institutes torched during attacks.

Arrests

On 14 October, Cuttack archbishop Raphael Cheenath moved the Supreme Court seeking Rs 3 crore

Crore

A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....

as compensation to rebuild the demolished and vandalized churches in the communal riot-hit areas. He also sought Rs 5.5 lakh

Lakh

A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...

for the kin of those killed in the riots and compensation of Rs 60,000 to those whose houses were damaged or torched by miscreants.

Against Hindus

On 6 November, Dhanu Pradhana, a VHP activist was murdered in Kandhmal. Dhanu Pradhana was shot when he was at a school in Kumbharigaon. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

(RSS) leader of Eastern Orissa, Prabhat Panigrahi, Hindu activists allege, was killed by Christians and Maoists in late March 2009, though Maoist rebels were suspected. Disturbingly, Hindus have also been attacked by members of their own faith, due to having Christian relatives. One woman, who is herself a Hindu, says she was gang raped by her grandparent's neighbors due to her uncle's refusal to renounce his Christian beliefs.

Response

's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...

called the Orissa violence a "shame" and offered all help from the Centre to end the communal clashes and restore normalcy. He said he would speak to Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik to urge him to take all necessary steps to end the violence.
The church network - including the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India

Catholic Bishops' Conference of India

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of India. It was first convened in September 1944, in Madras . Currently the CBCI has 212 members and 38 honorary members, and is headquartered in New Delhi, the capital of India...

, the Evangelical Fellowship of India and the National Council of Churches in India

National Council of Churches in India

National Council of Churches in India or NCCI is an ecumenical organisation of the protestant and Orthodox Churches in India. NCCI is a member of ACT Development, a global alliance of churches and related agencies....

- organized for all Christian institutions to remain closed on 29 August 2008 in protest.

On Wednesday, 27 August 2008, Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the priests, nuns, and laypeople being victimized. He "firmly condemned" the violence and called upon Indian religious and civil authorities "to work together to restore peaceful co-existence and harmony between the different religious communities." In doing so he said: "I learnt with great sorrow the information concerning the violence against the Christian community in Orissa which broke out after the reprehensible assassination of the Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. This led to derisive remarks in the press about the Italian origins of Sonia Gandhi, a Catholic, whose UPA alliance rules India from New Delhi."

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...

, a US-based outfit, expressed extreme dismay at the mob violence against Christians instigated by the VHP. The organization also expressed concern at the state government's lack of action following the Christmas 2007 violence.

's Foreign Ministry called on India's ambassador to demand ‘incisive action’ to prevent further attacks against Christians.

The National Human Rights Commission of India

National Human Rights Commission of India

The National Human Rights Commission of India is an autonomous statutory body established on 12 October 1993, under the provisions of The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 .-Functions:...

(NHRC) sought a report from the Orissa government on the ongoing religious violence in the state.
Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) a controversial federal agency advising the US administration has demanded the Indian authorities take immediate steps to quell the violence and order a probe to find out the perpetrators of the attacks.

"The continuing attacks targeting Christians represent the second major outbreak of religious violence in Orissa since December which underlines the pressing need for Indian government to develop preventive strategies," USCIRF said. "State governments must be held accountable for violence and other unlawful acts that occur in their state" Commission Chair Felice D Gaer said in a statement. USCIRF called on the US State Department to urge the central government and its Human Rights and Minority Commissions to continue their investigations, issue reports on the status of their investigations, and take further appropriate measures to address the situation, including ensuring that perpetrators of the violence are brought to account.
expressed concern over the violence against Christians in Orissa and hoped that the ruling government would bring the perpetrators to justice.

In a press release made on 21 September, The National Commission for Minorities blamed the Sangh Parivar

Sangh Parivar

The Sangh Parivar refers to the family of organisations of Hindu nationalists which have been started by members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or are inspired by its ideas. The Sangh Parivar represents the Hindu nationalist movement. It includes the RSS and several dozen smaller...

and Bajrang Dal

Bajrang Dal

for the communal violence in states of Karnataka and Orissa. Shafi Qureshi, member of the NCM team stated that the NCM teams had determined activists of Bajrang Dal were involved in these attacks in both in state of Orissa and Karnataka. Condemning the attack on churches in Kandhamal and other areas of Orissa and in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur and Mangalore in Karnataka, the Commission stressed the need for immediate confidence building measures to allay the fear from the minds of the minorities in both states of Orissa and Karnataka.
November 2008. In the UK House of Lords, Lord Harries, former Bishop of Oxford

Bishop of Oxford

The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...

urged the Indian government to prosecute those responsible for the attacks. Graham Dow, the Bishop of Carlisle

Bishop of Carlisle

The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...

added that anti-conversion laws in seven states have entailed threats of fines and imprisonment for clerics if they baptise Dalit people.

Summary of events before the riots

Kandhas and panhas were two separate groups; Kandhas were scheduled tribes whereas Panhas are Dalits. They did not mix much, never inter-married.
Christian missionaries set up at kandhamal and converted panha tribes.
They built churches in surrounding area and built 'pucca' houses for the converts.
Laxmanananda started his ashram in kandhamal, as an answer to the missionaries and preached hinduism to kandhas.
Intolerance between Kandhas and panhas strengthened.
Panhas appealed to make their status 'tribal', which would allow them to access forest land belonging to kandhas.
This infuriated the kandhas, as they saw it as an invasion.
Moreover, there were some controversial beef eating drives organised by the missionaries, which angered kandhas and also ashram activists
In December 2007, a Christian gate was erected near a Hindu place of worship, which kandhas felt as a 'slap on their face'.
Hindu kandhas, not withstanding, burnt down the Christmas gate and from there started the violence.

External links

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