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Kandhamal: Under
Whose Control ?
By Dhirendra
Panda
18 September, 2008
Countercurrents.org
The
riot among the Hindus and Muslims occurred in Rourkela in 1964-65 had
lasted only for three days. But, in Kandhamal it has been continuing
since last 20-days. It can be considered as the worst ever communal
violence witnessed within Orissa. When the Government claims that the
situation is peaceful and under control, but the reality is complete
opposite. People are left as completely terror-stricken and nobody from
minority community feels safe in villages, prefers to stay back in
relief camps.
On 11th September 08 the Orissa government informed the Supreme Court
that the law and order situation in Kandhamal had "improved
considerably" and was now under control. In this regards, a detailed
affidavit was submitted by the Orissa Home Secretary T.K. Mishra on
behalf of the government, in response to a writ petition filed by
Raphael Cheenath, the Cuttack Achbishop. The State Government's Counsel
also informed the Apex Court Bench, comprising Chief Justice K.G.
Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam, that all steps taken by the
administration to maintain law had been taken. So far, the government
has formed 354 peace committees to help restore harmony. Some 421
criminal cases have been instituted against the rioters and 629 persons
involved in the violence have been booked. In the petition, the
government also informed the Supreme Court that VHP leader Praveen
Togadia's proposed kalash yatra was also barred from entering the
district. It is yet to be informed of who the people in the peace
committees are and how far they have earned the 'real' confidence of the
villagers belonging to the minority community.
The Government and Sangha Parivar are trying to project the entire
incident as a reflection of the age-old conflicts in between Adivasis
and Dalits and situation under control. This is further palpable from
the Chief Secretary's discussion with USA Consul General Ms Beth A Payne
on 11th September. The Officer informed to Ms Payne, who has come to
meet the Chief Minister Mr Naveen Patnaik and others for some commercial
purposes at the Orissa Secretariat, - that it was not a communal
violence against Christians, rather group clashes in between adivasis
and dalits and now it is under control.
The question arises - what does 'situation is under control' mean, under
whose control is it? The information as gathered from the field, it is
under the control of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and their hooligans backed by
BJP leaders. One civil society fact finding team returned today to
Bhubaneswar after visiting the area. As we got from them through
informal talks (they will present their official report after 1 or 2
days), they had to take permission from the district authority before
entering into villages. The situation is unthinkably scaring and
suspicious. Everybody is awfully waiting under uncertainty – as if, it
may bring another big trouble next day. Even NGOs and reporters are
under constant fear of being threatened.
The already ravished, terrorized, emotionally broken dalits and adivasis
are being converted from Christianity to Hinduism in a well-planned
manner. A villager (Christian) from Baliguda block called and informed
today that they have been given a ultimatum by VHP people that they have
to keep themselves prepared with two cocoanuts, non-boiled rice (arua
chaula) and other items for attending re-conversion (sanskar) ceremony
on 15th September 2008. In case they failed to do so, what will happen –
only time can tell? 'In the meantime more than 1000 families have been
reconverted within 15-days' according to a reporter, who does not want
to disclose his identity.
A couple of days
back, the leaders of VHP and RSS have announced to wipe out Christians
from Kandhamal District shortly. This was reiterated by Sangha leaders
on 11th September before press. Addressing media persons after his
meeting with Sankaracharya, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Chief, Ashok
Singhal said while the crucifixion of Jesus helped in spreading
Christianity worldwide, the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati
would end conversions and cow slaughter. He reiterated his vow to put an
end to conversions in the country. Also he told that recently thousands
of 'forcefully or deceptively' converted people in Kandhamal are coming
back to Hinduism after they realized that the Christianity can not give
them security and protection. State VHP leader Mr. Subash Chouhan said
that religious functions would also be conducted to reconvert all the
converts into the Hindu fold. He also said a month-long campaign from
September 23 would be launched in which the holy 'soils' from the 'samadhi'
of Swami Lakshmanananda would be taken in a procession to all the
villages in the Kandhamal where the Christian missionaries had converted
a large number of native tribal population into Christianity.
The 'reconversion
programme' has been planned and being carried out very systematically in
association with many influential persons and institutions. The VHP
Supremo – Mr.Singhal had a closed-door meeting with the Puri
Shankaracharya, Swami Neeschalananda Saraswati, at his mutt at Puri for
over an hour. Also he had meets with the CM and the leaders of RSS, VHP,
Bajrang Dal and BJP separately.
When the Government claiming the situation is peaceful and normal in
Kandhamal, then why did the District Collector of Kandhamal, Krishan
Kumar asked the State Election Commission to postpone the urban local
bodies' poll in the area scheduled to be held Sep 19 since the situation
had not become completely normal.' The situation is under control but in
some areas, it continues to be tense,' he said. 'More than 20,000 people
have been living in 18 relief camps and many of them have said they
don't want to return home at this moment because they still fear a
threat to their lives,' Although the ban order is still in force across
the district, thousands of women blocked several roads Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday to demand the release of those (VHP people)
arrested on rioting charges. This demand was put before the Orissa CM by
none other than Mr.Ashok Singhal. These women, mostly tribals, often
take to the streets defying prohibitory orders, admitted by Mr.Kumar.
Why the administration is not able to stop these and arrest the RSS, VHP,
BJP leaders who are mobilizing these women to organize such rallies near
relief camps and creating atmosphere of terror and insecurity for the
people in camps.
People belonging to
minority communities either in relief camps or villages or outside are
under constant fear, insecurity. They do not have other choices than to
'reconvert or die'. Now, the freedom, dignity and right of the adivasis
and dalits are in the hands of VHP and BJP leaders and their hired
hooligans. The Constitutional rights of a section of Indian citizens,
who are said to be the original inhabitants (indigenous communities),
are under captivity. Not to speak of taking up any actions to ensure
their rights, the Government looks helpless before the designs of
fundamentalists. The suspicion of the minority communities about the
State of siding with communal forces and compromising its constitutional
responsibilities as secular and democratic polity is gaining more
ground. Of course the Civil Society still hopes 'the Navin government is
not a collaborator, but a helpless and mute spectator'.
The Government and
BJD-BJP leaders have strongly refused to accept the demand for CBI
enquiry into both the murder of Laxmanananda and that of Christians.
Actually whatever level of importance is given for the enquiry of
Laxmanananda case, is below expectation. Comparing to it, a little has
been done to trace out the murderers of innocent Christians during
subsequent violence. The affected people are sometimes threatened by the
hooligans not to file their FIRs against their leaders and followers and
also discouraged by the local Police at some other time. After 15-days
many people have not been able to file FIRs. There is no special
arrangement by the administration for filing FIRs by affected ones,
security of victims and protection of witness. Even the District
authority is not allowing the Civil Society to help in providing legal
aids to these hapless people, while the perpetrators of the violence are
moving freely and intimidating the poor adivasis and dalits.
In the meantime, the
Sangh Parivar prepared a list of about 140 people from Christian
community alleging them to be the killers of Laxmanananda without any
substantial proof and distributing it among its supporters with a
purpose to punish them in case the Government fails to do the same and
Mr.Singhal submitted the list to the CM. It has created danger for the
lives of these people. The 'rule of the Sangh Parivar' overpowers the
'rule of law'. Immediately after the killing of Laxmanananda,
disregarding the views of the Police DG, CM; they declared the Christian
Community as responsible for the crime and also they announced the
punishment that the 'Hindus would react severely'. And also they
implemented the punishment by killing women-men, lynching disabled
persons and children, burning Christian houses, shops, churches. The
Sangh leaders decided not to undertake autopsy of the bodies of
Laxmanananda and his disciples, the Administration obeyed it. The Sangh
and BJP made the Government not to go for CBI enquiry. The VHP leaders
expressed unhappiness over the investigation into the killing of Swami
Laxmanananda by the Crime Branch and alleged that the Government was
shielding the culprits. Eighteen days after the death of the Swami
police are yet to identify the killers, he said. But they did not show
slightest interest about the killing of innocent people subsequently and
also they do not want it to be given to the CBI for enquiry. Then, what
should we expect now from the Constitutional authorities, opposition
political parties and civil society??
(The write-up is based on media reports and field information.)
(I am a Human
Rights' Activist based in Bhubaneswar working independently.I have 30
years of experiences in working on various social issues in association
with differsnt Non-Governmental organisations and political parties
based in Orissa.I did my MA in Political Science.I began my social
career from Students' Movements in 80s'.)
http://www.countercurrents.org/panda180908.htm
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