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This article provides information on ] targeted against the Christian community in the state of ], ]. The eastern state of India, ] has been a hotbed of communal tension over the past decade. The state is amongst the economically challenged states in the country and its people have suffered with issues of famine and communal tension. Over the last decade, the christian community has been specific target of varous hindu groups. The tension in the region, amongst people of different caste and tribes, has been on the issue of religious conversion. One specific region Khandamal, is amongst the most economically backward region and has seen the brunt of the violence in the last year. The Kandhamal district has 600,000 people of which 150,000 are Christians. Kandhamal has two different people groups - the ] and ]. The Kandha tribe is 80% of the population and 20% are a scheduled caste called Paana. Kandhas are socially and economically backward while most Paanas have done well (economically) after becoming Christian, causing tension within the groups.<ref name=" IBNCHRISTIAN">{{cite web |title=Caste, tribe, conversion make Orissa district volatile|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/caste-tribe-conversion-make-orissa-district-volatile/55272-3.html}}</ref> This article provides information on ] targeted against the Christian community in the state of ], ]. The eastern state of India, ] has been a hotbed of communal tension over the past decade. The state is amongst the economically challenged states in the country and its people have suffered with issues of famine and communal tension. Over the last decade, the christian community has been specific target of varous hindu groups. The tension in the region, amongst people of different caste and tribes, has been on the issue of religious conversion. One specific region Khandamal, is amongst the most economically backward region and has seen the brunt of the violence in the last year. The Kandhamal district has 600,000 people of which 150,000 are Christians. Kandhamal has two different people groups - the ] and ]. The Kandha tribe is 80% of the population and 20% are a scheduled caste called Paana. Kandhas are socially and economically backward while most Paanas have done well (economically) after becoming Christian, causing tension within the groups.<ref name=" IBNCHRISTIAN">{{cite web |title=Caste, tribe, conversion make Orissa district volatile|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/caste-tribe-conversion-make-orissa-district-volatile/55272-3.html}}</ref>


Revision as of 02:52, 2 September 2008

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This article provides information on communal violence targeted against the Christian community in the state of Orissa, India. The eastern state of India, Orissa has been a hotbed of communal tension over the past decade. The state is amongst the economically challenged states in the country and its people have suffered with issues of famine and communal tension. Over the last decade, the christian community has been specific target of varous hindu groups. The tension in the region, amongst people of different caste and tribes, has been on the issue of religious conversion. One specific region Khandamal, is amongst the most economically backward region and has seen the brunt of the violence in the last year. The Kandhamal district has 600,000 people of which 150,000 are Christians. Kandhamal has two different people groups - the Kandha tribe and Paana caste. The Kandha tribe is 80% of the population and 20% are a scheduled caste called Paana. Kandhas are socially and economically backward while most Paanas have done well (economically) after becoming Christian, causing tension within the groups.


Staines Murder

Graham Staines was an Australian missionary working with the Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj (EMSM). He managed the Mission at Baripada from 1983, and helped establish the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home. A fluent Oriya speaker, he was popular among the patients and helped rehabilitate them after they were cured.

On the night of January 22, 1999, he had attended an annual gathering of Christians in Keonjhar district. In the night he was sleeping in his station wagon when it was set afire by a Hindu radical mob. Graham and his two sons, 10-year-old Philip and six-year-old Timothy, were burnt alive..

December 2007 Christmas violence

In December 2007, a series of communal violence occurred against Christians in Phulbani, Daringbadi, Bamunigaon and Baliguda towns of Kandhamal district in Orissa. Government had to impose curfew in order to control the situation.

The attacks were mainly targeted against Christian community and were alleged to be triggered after an assault on VHP leader Laxamanananda Saraswati, who leads an anti-conversion movement. . The All India Christian Council claimed that the December 2007 attacks on Christians were not spontaneous but preplanned by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindutva groups.. This was confirmed by the National Commission for Minorities report (see below)

The violence

On December 22, 2007: the Church authorities informed the Sub-Collector that they apprehended trouble on Christmas and asked the district administration to take the necessary measures to prevent anti-social elements from exploiting the situation to create the trouble. Church authorities informed the Sub-Collector that the Kui Samaj had given a call for a bandh on 25-26 December to press their demands regarding various issues. They requested the district authorities to remain alert and preempt any trouble.

On December 23, 2007: Hindutva affiliated Adivasi organizations organized a march, rallying, "Stop Christianity. Kill Christians." Suspecting rising tension, some Dalit Christian leaders lodge a complaint with the Police for protection.

On 23 December 2007, Chrisitians of Brahmanigoan village tried to erect a gate in front of a Hindu place of worship. This incident led to a clash between Christian and Hindu communities. Swami Lakshamananda, who visited the site, was attacked by Christians. This led to further clashes between Kondh tribals and Christians.

On 24 December a group of 150-200 people started demanding that an arch put across the road by Christians should be removed in Brahmanigaon even though the Christian community had received official permission for putting up the pandal and for the use of loud speakers. The district administration confirmed the grant of permission. The outbreak of violence started on 24th December, 2007 at 8.00 a.m. at Bamunigam village, close to the police station under Daringibadi Block of Kandhamal District. Some Hindu Fundamentalists forcefully removed the Christmas decoration, which the Ambedkar Baniko Sangho comprising the local Christian entrepreneurs, had put up as a preparation for Christmas, with the permission from the administration. This was followed by exchange of hot words between two groups. Within a few minutes a group of people who were stationed close by pounced on the members of Ambedkar Baniko Sangho with sticks, knives and guns. Two shots were fired into the air. People dispersed out of fear. About 20 shops belonging to Christians were destroyed. There was also widespread looting of property.

On the second day, 25th December, the crowd came back and destroyed church buildings in the Bamunigam area. Then they entered the Christian villages and burnt houses and property, telling the residents to leave. Many Sangh Parivar members bearing symbolic tilaks incited the local Hindus into rioting. The mob consisted of about 4,000 people. Official estimates stated that 20 per cent of the mob comprised people from Barkahama, 80 per cent from surrounding Baliguda, Raikia, Phulbani, as far away as Beherampur.

By December 29, 2007 nearly 700 persons, mostly Christians, had to move to government-run relief camps to avoid attacks.

By December 30, rioting started to get under control by the security forces such as the CRPF. For the first time since the violence started, church services were held under tight security. 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.

On Jan 1, 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 (January 1, 2008)

Response

The Prime Minister of India and other political parties condemned the violence.

Taking serious note of the attacks on churches and Christians in Orissa, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) sought a report from the state government on the violence in four towns of Kandhamal district

Organization such as the Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleged that the December 2007 violence was in continuation to an "anti Christian" campaign being run by extremist Hindu groups for several years and that the government officials had been ignoring such injustice.

Union Home minister Shivraj Patil visited relief camps and promised compensation to the victims of the communal riot. He asked the Orissa Government, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to probe the riots instead of entirely depending on the reports of the judicial commission of inquiry. There were allegation that the pro BJP government of Orissa had been slow in reacting to violence.

The Orissa government ordered a Judicial enquiry on the violence. Retired justice of Orissa High Court Basudev Panigrahi, Panigrahi commission, will lead the commission that would probe the incidents under the commission of inquiry act.

A three-member fact finding committee, led by National Integration Council,strongly criticized the ruling BJD- BJP government in Orissa state, saying that it (Orissa government) had shown callous indifference to a tragedy that was waiting to happen.

Conclusions of the report by National Commission for Minorities on Christmas violence

The National Commission for Minorities, a body constituted by the Government of India to monitor and evaluate the progress of people classified as minorities by the Indian government. The minorities commission was given the task of analyzing the facts that emerged as a aftermath of the December 2007 Christmas violence.
The following conclusion are directly quoted from the report: :

1. Throughout the fact finding mission one question rose again and again and this was whether the choice of 25th December for holding a bandh by the Kuis was a mere co-incidence. A second bandh called by Swami Lakshmananda to protest the attack on his car was also fixed for the same day. We find it difficult to believe that this too was entirely fortuitous. The authorities were warned well in advance by the Christians that trouble was brewing during the Christmas season. In this background it is extremely difficult to understand why the district authorities did not take active steps to defiuse the situation and ensure that peace was maintained.
2. The official accounts sought to stress the complexity of the situation in Kandhamal district and attributed the violence to the confusion over the High Court Order on the inclusion of SC Christians in the ST category which is vehemently opposed by the Kui tribes in the area. The situation is certainly complex and overlaid with multi-layered contradictions. The conflation of castetribe-communal issues has contributed to the aggravation of social conflicts in this area. But none of this complexity detracts from the principal issue which is that the Christian minority was the target of organised attacks. The State agencies if they had been vigilant could have prevented the violence arising out of the two bandhs on Christmas.
3. The State Government must look into the speeches of Swami Lakshmananda to determine whether they amount to incitement to violence and take appropriate action.
4. The State Government must issue a White Paper on the conversion issue to dispel fears and suspicions that have been assiduously raised about the Christian community and the role of its institutions.
5. Rehabilitation package announced by the Orissa Government needs to be reviewed to provide rehabilitation keeping in view the actual loss suffered by the victims of violence.
6. Augmenting the number of police personnel and providing them with adequate training and equipment was also imperative. Moreover for reasons that have not been explained the State Government was reluctant in reaching out to civil society and NGOs working as they do work at the grassroots can provide authorities with advance information about simmering tension and co-operate in the prevention of such incidents.
7. Orissa does not have a State Minorities Commission. The State Government must take the necessary steps to set up a statutory Minorities Commission for safeguarding the rights of minorities.
8. The confusion created by the High Court Order needs to be swiftly cleared to prevent further outbreak of tensions between STs and SCs. The government must address the obvious tensions that will arise from the different treatment given in the matter of reservation to Christians belonging to the SC community and the ST community. If Christian tribals are backward Christian SCs are no less so. To create an artificial distinction between the two is simply to communalise poverty and drive a wedge between two homogenous groups who are among the most deprived. The group therefore, recommends that the reservation given to Christian tribals should be extended to cover Christian SCs who are of exactly the same background and are subject to exactly the same disadvantage.
9. None of the above must detract from the social and economic backwardness of the district. Every indicator points to acute poverty, illiteracy, ill-health, lack of infrastructure, in short, an absence of development. Nearly two thirds of the people in this district live below the poverty line. Even as the authorities are called upon to show greater vigilance to prevent the outbreak of violence, the Government must urgently address issues of social exclusion and structural inequities.
10. The terrible fact remains that in parts of Orissa Christians were unable to celebrate their most important festival. By preventing Christians from celebrating Christmas, the VHP and its affiliates have ensured that the minority should not be in a position to enjoy the rights guaranteed to it by the Constitution. The action of such forces is blot on the Republic a matter which deserves more attention and consideration from authorities both at the level of State and Centre.
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August 2008 violence

On Saturday, August 23, 2008, the VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati was killed at his Jalespata ashram in Kandhamal district in Orissa, along with 4 disciples including a minor and a woman.

According to the Inspector General of Police the method of the attack is consistent "with the Maoist stamp in the kind of operation they undertake".

On the same day, an interview with a Moaist rebel was published in the leading Orissa newspaper Sambad . In the interview, Azad, a leader of Maoist outfit, People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, claimed responsibility for the killing of Saraswati, saying:

"We killed Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati to avenge his villainous role in Kandhmal"

However, radical Hindu groups in the state blamed Christians for killing Saraswati because of his opposition to religious conversion. Christian organisations deny this. Madhav also said on the CNN IBN debate that Orissa police arrested workers of World Vision, a Christian organization, for the killing. This may have been based on an inaccurate newspaper story that went even further and said the Christians had admitted their guilt (“Widespread anger in Kandhamal”, The Pioneer, Aug. 25, 2008).

However, Deputy Inspector General (Southern Range) R.P. Koche in Bhubaneshwar categorically denied this claim, and the executive director of World Vision India said two employees were merely given protective custody by police for one night (“Orissa violence: lies and media reports”, by Vishal Arora, The Hoot, Aug. 28, 2008).

The violence

State wide protest by VHP and Bajrang Dal turned violent and led to widespread persecution of Christians in Orissa. Many churches, prayer houses and other Christian institutions were attacked in Kandhamal, Bargarh, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Boudh, Sundargarh, Kendrapada, Bolangir and Jajpur districts. The events appeared to be instigated by statements made by leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council). 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."


Even though the People’s Liberation Revolutionary Group claimed responsibility for the attack, the VHP dismissed these reports and continued to state that the killing was an act of christian community.


The VHP had called for a statewide shutdown for Monday, August 25, 2008. On the same day, protesters burnt alive a 20-year-old woman in an orphanage at Khuntpalli village in Bargarh district. ..

Curfew was clamped in all towns in Kandhamal. Despite this, large-scale violence and arson continued in Phulbani, Tumudibandh, Baliguda, Udaygiri, Nuagaon and Tikabali towns.


The situation was so volatile that Minister of State for Home, Prakash Jaiswal, and other Congress leaders, who had arrived to visit the riot hit areas, were told by the state government that they could not do so and had to return to New Delhi.


By August 29, 2008 at least 20 people were killed and 3000 people were reported to be living in government run relief camps. 1000 homes had been set on fire. Many others had to flee into jungle, living without food or water. All nine towns in the district were under a curfew, and the police have license to shoot. On the same day, an interview with a Naxalite was published a leading Orissa newspaper called “Sambad” which clearly claimed responsibility and asked why Christians were blamed and attacked. It was deplorable situation where the VHP engaged in genocide of innocents and the state government looked the otherway.


On August 31, 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 para military forces to combat the continung violence.


On September 1, 2008 Government of Orissa claimed the situation was under control. However, 558 houses and 17 places of worship were burnt in communal 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. BBC reported that more than 10,000 Christians are living in refugee camps setup by government.


Also, a prominent Maoist leader claimed that Hindu leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswati was killed by Maoists.

Political Fallout

The ruling goverment of Orissa, headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was a coalition of the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). In the 147-member state assembly, the BJD-BJP combine has 93 members of whom 32 lawmakers 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.

Response

 Vatican City On Wednesday August 27, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the priests and nuns 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."

 India Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh 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, the Evangelical Fellowship of India and the National Council of Churches in India - organized for all Christian institutions to remain closed on August 29, 2008 in protest. The All India Christian Council (AICC) has also planned a sit-in outside the Orissa House in New Delhi on the same day.

Human Rights Watch expressed extreme dismay on the mob violence against Christians instigated by the VHP. The organization also expressed concern on the state government's lack of intervention in the situation since the christmas violence.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sought a report from the Orissa government on the ongoing communal violence in the state.

References

  1. "Caste, tribe, conversion make Orissa district volatile".
  2. Missionary buried, mission lives on. The Indian Express. Jan 26, 1999
  3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7166297.stm BBC Article Regarding Orissa Violence
  4. "Violence continues at Orissa's Kandhamal district". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Access Date= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  5. "Curfew continues in four Orissa towns". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Access Date= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  6. "Christians fear attacks by Indian Hindus". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. "Suffering of Orissa's Christians Presented to National Human Rights Commission of India" (html) (Press release). All India Christian Council AICC. 31 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-01. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. "Report of the NCM visit to Orissa, 6-8 January 2008" (PDF). NCM. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  9. "Vandals in Orissa". Asian Age. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdate- January 9, 2008" ignored (help)
  10. News
  11. "Report of the NCM visit to Orissa, 6-8 January 2008" (PDF). NCM. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  12. "Vandals in Orissa". Asian Age. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdate- January 9, 2008" ignored (help)
  13. "Christians fear attacks by Indian Hindus". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  14. "Sunday services held amid tight security in Orissa". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. "Fresh violence in Kandhamal, Patil promises compensation". Press Trust of India as seen in Indian Express. Retrieved 2006-01-03.
  16. "Curfew continues in four Orissa towns". Retrieved 2008-01-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  17. "http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=415898&archisec=NAT". 2007-12-30. Retrieved 2008-01-02. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  18. "Orissa violence: NCM seeks report". 2007-12-27. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  19. "HRW seeks end to Hindu-Christian violence in Orissa". The Hindu. 2007-12-29. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  20. "Fresh violence in Kandhamal, Patil promises compensation". Press Trust of India as seen in Indian Express. Retrieved 2006-01-03.
  21. "Retired judge to probe Orissa riots as police firing kills four". IANS as reported on Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2008-01-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |articledate= ignored (help)
  22. "Orissa: Panel slams govt, demands probe". NDTV. Retrieved 2008-01-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |articledate= ignored (help)
  23. "Report of the NCM visit to Orissa, 6-8 January 2008" (PDF). NCM. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  24. "Four days after VHP leader's murder, police still clueless". The Indian Express. 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  25. "Maoists claim they killed 'fascist' VHP leader in Orissa" (Press release). Times of India. 30 Aug 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  26. "Christian groups didn't kill VHP leader: Sources" (Press release). NDTV. Friday, August 29, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-31. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. "Orissa violence: lies and media reports" (Press release). The Hoot. Friday, August 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-31. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. "Indian state erupts in violence after Hindu shot" (html). CNN Asia. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-29. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  29. "Orissa on edge, VHP scoffs at Maoist theory" (html). Hindustan Times. 24 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-31. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  30. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200808261929.htm
  31. "VHP bandh turns violent in Orissa, churches attacked" (html) (Press release). All India Christian Council AICC. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-27. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. "Is violence affecting India's image" (Press release). NDTV. 28 Aug 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  33. "Thousands homeless after Hindu-Christian violence in India" (Press release). International Herald Tribune. 29 Aug 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  34. "Maoists claim they killed 'fascist' VHP leader in Orissa" (Press release). Times of India. 30 Aug 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  35. "Orissa seeks more forces" (Press release). Press Trust of India. Friday, August 31, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-31. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. "558 houses, 17 places of worship torched during riot: Orissa govt". Times of India. 1 Sep 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  37. "India Christians shelter in camps". BBC. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  38. http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-35197320080827"Pope deplores anti-Christian violence in Orissa" (Press release). Reuters India. Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:22pm IST. Retrieved 2008-08-28. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080063156&ch=8/27/2008%207:43:00%20PM Pope 'firmly condemns' violence in Orissa
  40. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/PM_calls_Orissa_violence_a_shame/articleshow/3419084.cms"PM calls Orissa violence a 'shame'" (Press release). Times of India. 29 Aug 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  41. "World Leaders Urged to Condemn Violence in Orissa" (Press release). Human Rights Watch. 28 Aug 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  42. "NHRC issues notice to Orissa over violence" (Press release). Times of India. 29 Aug 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-30. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

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