Mob kills CRPF jawan in Kandhmal

A staffer of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed by a mob as fresh violence broke out in Orissa's troubled Kandhamal district, police said Tuesday.
About six to seven unidentified people attacked two CRPF men on Monday evening at a village under Raikia police station area.
While one of them managed to escape unhurt, the other was killed in the attack, said District Superintendent of Police S Praveen Kumar.
"Police recovered the body on Monday night. He has injuries on his torso and head. It appears he was first beaten up by sticks and then killed by a sharp weapon," Kumar said.
The fresh violence is a setback for the state government, which has been claiming that normalcy is slowly returning to the region.
Kandhamal district has been witnessing communal violence since August 23 after the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and four others at his ashram by unidentified gunmen.
In retaliatory violence, thousands of Christian homes and churches have been burnt and at least 36 people killed.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in New Delhi on Monday that the trouble in Kandhamal was not just a communal problem and there were many other factors compounding the problem.
The district has a long history of ill-feeling and suspicion between Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes on a variety of issues such as forcible occupation of tribal land and jobs being secured on the basis of false caste certificates among others, Patnaik had said.

Click here for source

Our take on it: If the CRPF and the police are not safe, how can the Christians be? And then how can Naveen Patnaik say that situation is getting normal.

BJP ally JD-U says attacks on Christians ‘deplorable’

New Delhi, October 14: In a veiled attack on Orissa and Karnataka, ruled by its allies BJD and BJP, the JD-U on Tuesday said the incidents of attacks on Christians in these states are ‘deplorable’ and damaging for the country.

Party chief Sharad Yadav said riots can be stopped ‘if the government had strong will power’.

"No riots can linger on for a long period if the government is committed to stop it. If the government's will power is strong riots can be stopped," Yadav said.

"The incidents in Orissa and Karnataka are damaging for the country. What has happened there is very bad. Violence being orchestrated against any community is deplorable and needs to handled sternly," Yadav said.

Supporting the demand of party leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for ‘strict and unbiased action those inciting communal violence’, Yadav said, "such elements should be crushed."

Yadav, however, supported BJP's demand for a tough law to deal with terrorism.

"Tougher law is required to tackle terrorism. Call it POTA or anything else but any kind of extremism or terrorism has to be crushed," Yadav said.

He accused the UPA Government of not doing ‘proper homework’ for Monday's National Integration Council meet.

"The government did not do any homework. The meeting was called just for the sake formality. Political parties reflect on the issues differently according to their philosophy but the government should have done proper homework for the meeting and should have forged a consensus on important issues," Yadav said.

He also criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying "the PM is singing Nirgun Bhajan in place of Sagun. I mean to say he should have proceeded with consensus in this matter taking all with him."

Click here for source

Consensus eludes NIC meet

NEW DELHI: A meeting of Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories, major political party leaders and decision makers failed to firm up

concrete proposals to tackle religious violence and terrorism.
Prevention of extremism, promotion of communal harmony and security among minorities and equitable development were some of the vital issues discussed at the 14th meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) here on Monday.
"The meeting condemned all acts of violence and overt attempts to strike at the roots of our national integrity, solidarity and pluralism and all forms of extremism, terrorism and violence and resolved to deal with all such challenges firmly and in accordance with rule of law," said Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
The meeting noted that the vast majority of Indians cutting across religious and cultural lines are peace-loving, believe in the spirit and idea of tolerance, communal harmony and the rule of law.
The meeting recognized that unity in diversity and communal harmony constitutes the bedrock of our nationhood and civilizational values. The meeting expressed concern at the recent incidents of communal and terrorist violence in various parts of the country.
The meeting called upon all political parties, civil society organizations, citizens' groups, religious, social and other opinion leaders, and the media to rise above narrow thinking or interests, and to act unitedly to defeat all forms of extremism and any attempt at division of our society on social, religious and communal lines.

Click here for source

Patil, Patnaik clash at NIC meet

New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik clashed today at the National Integration Council meeting over the handling of the situation in the wake of the anti-Christian violence in the eastern state.
Addressing the meeting dominated by attacks on Christians and terrorism, Patil said he had sent more forces than asked for by the Orissa government. To this, Patnaik shot back saying that forces reached him only after five days of killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23.
The Home Minister then said that it took time since security personnel had to be pulled out of the International Border. Suggesting that urgency was shown by the Centre, Patil said that to ensure the fast dispatch of forces helicopters were even used.
Patnaik said that whatever forces were made available by the Home Ministry most of them were trainee jawans.
As the spat continued, some members said the two should not have any acrimony.
Patil later told reporters there were "some discussions" but said there was no bitterness between him and Patnaik.

PTI

The “BOOKLET” That Was Used by Bajrang Dal to Terrorize Christians!

(This article is taken from a blog http://richardrego.wordpress.com)

A little known booklet “Satyadarshini” was cited as one of the two the reasons behind the recent violation of Human Rights of Mangalore Christians, to begin with, the other being “forced conversions” which nobody wants to prove (though Kalladka prabhakar, RSS leader of Karnataka branch insisted during the meeting with Palemar that ‘not forced conversions, but allured conversions’)

Police have traced the origin of this booklet. Many newspapers published about the booklet and the printer, too. Here is  a translation of the same, which appeared in Vijaya Karnataka (21 Sept 2008;page no. 5), a right wing newspaper (though owned by the Times of India, known to be a “politically correct” paper):

Devendrappa Hullur was arrested on 19th Sept in Koppala, in Karnataka. He has accepted that he had printed the booklet; but did not know its content when he did. He said that he had printed the booklet 12 years ago, but was not aware that it was offensive literature.

“In 1997, I had printed 1,000 copies of the booklet for Rs. 5,000, in my Santhosh Printers, for Mr Prakash.Originally, it was a Telugu booklet written by Sanskrit pandith Paravasthu Surya Narayana Rao, who was a temple priest in Andhra Pradesh. But I don’t know why this booklet has become so controversial now.”

Who is this Devendrappa Hullur?

He belongs to the Devanga section of Hindu society. When he printed the booklet he was a Hindu. But in 2006, he embraced Christianity. “I was not forced or allured by anyone to be converted. I was fed up of life - problems everywhere. Before converting myself, I asked my wife’s permission; she consented, and I accepted Christ.” That is the testimony of the printer of this booklet which (translation) was printed in 1997; the press ceased to exist some six years ago.

Click here for source

Cong takes out peace rally in Kandhamal

Phulbani (PTI): In a bid to restore normalcy in Orissa's riot-hit Kandhamal district, Congress took out a peace rally here on Sunday.

A large number of Congress workers, including several prominent leaders, marched through the main roads of the town to spread the message of harmony among the people in the strife-torn district.

As the rally passed through the town, a large number of local residents belonging to different sections of society and communities joined the march seeking restoration of peace in the district, which had been witnessing violence since the killing of VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati on August 23.

They went around the town carrying placards and banners with messages for peace and harmony, as a 'rath' moved along amidst recitation of 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram'.

Click here for source

Orissa encouraging minority educational institutes: Patnaik

New Delhi (PTI): Under fire for his handling of communal violence in Orissa, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday reaffirmed his Government's faith in the harmonious development of all communities, with emphasis on promotion of minority-run educational institutes.

He said that state grant to minority institutes has been increased from Rs 1.81 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 2.18 crore in 2008-09 and a special drive initiated for tribal education.

"There is also a greater focus on improving literacy of SC and ST communities", he said while speaking at the National Integration Council meeting here today, inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Chief Minister said that more than 3,000 hostels for SC and ST students have been established across the state to accommodate about 3.20 lakh boarders at the pre-matric level.

He said that the aim was to improve the quality and quantity of education in SC/ST department schools where teacher-student ratio is 1:20 as against the state average of 1:40.

The state government is implementing the merit-cum-means scholarship for both pre-matric and post-matric education of students of minority communities as introduced by the Centre.

A new B.Ed college for SC and ST youths has also been announced in the state, he said.

He attributed the recent violence in Kandhamal district to "conflict of interests" between SC and STs.

Click here for source

Rape case of nun: Accused lodged in jail on transit warrant

Coimbatore-Palakkad (PTI): The three persons, arrested in connection with the rape of a nun in Orissa's Kandhamal, have been lodged in Coimbatore Central Jail as police have not yet obtained permission from the Civil Aviation department to take them to Bhubaneshwar by air.

Police said the three -- Saroj Ghadei, Munna and Mitu Patnaik -- were brought to the city airport from Palakkad, to take them to Bangalore en route to Bhubaneshwar.

As the Orissa police did not get clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to take the accused via Bangalore this morning, they with the help of local police produced them at a local court and lodged them in the central jail on transit warrant, the sources said.

The three would be taken to Bangalore on Tuesday morning and from there to Bhubaneshwar, the sources said.

The three were arrested on Saturday from a rice mill in Palakkad where they were working.

Click here for source

12-hour bandh in five South Orissa districts hit normal life

Bhubaneswar (PTI): Normal life was on Monday affected during a dawn-to-dusk bandh in five south Orissa districts called by some Left parties and others in protest against the recent violence in Kandhamal, official sources said here.

Vehicles went off the road and shops remained closed in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput districts during the bandh called by left outfits like CPI-ML (New Democracy), CPI-ML (Liberation), CPI-ML (Red Flag) and Samajwadi Jana Parishad .

Their demands including action against organisations instigating violence in Kandhamal in the aftermath of killing of Laxamananda Saraswati and security to the riot victims.

The shut-down also had its echo in state capital Bhubaneswar where Left activists blocked railway tracks and roads for a brief period, Khitish Biswal of CPI-ML(liberation) said.

The state-owned Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) cancelled all long-distance buses from Berhampur while private bus owners kept their vehicles off the road.

While shops business establishments were closed in Raikia, Daringibadi, Kotagada, Tumudibandh, Nuagaon, Tikabali and Udaygiri areas of Kandhamal, markets were open in district headquarter town of Phulbani as well as at Berhampur in nearby Ganjam, sources said.

The central security forces deployed at Daringibadi chased a group of bandh supporters while blocking the roads.

At least 26 bandh supporters were detained at Rambha in Ganjam while resorting the railway services.

However, They were released later, they said adding barring few minor incidents, the bandh passed off peacefully.

Click here for source

One more killed in Kandhamal

One more person was found murdered in the strife-torn Raikia area on Saturday, the same day Orissa police arrested three more accused in the alleged gang-rape of a nun, taking the number of arrested in the crime to eight..

THERE SEEMS to be no end to communal violence in Kandhamal. On Saturday (October 11), a 75-year-old tribal was found murdered in the strife-torn Raikia area. He was identified as Krushna Pradhan.

The murder, however, coincided with the crime branch of Orissa police arresting three more accused in the alleged rape of a Catholic nun, taking the number of those nabbed in the August 25 incident to eight. The alleged victim remains elusive, though.

The latest murder, officials suspect, could have its genesis in the ongoing ethnic-communal discord in the district, but nothing had been ascertained till reports last came in.

"We don t know the murderer or the reason for murder. We are trying to verify the facts," a senior police officer said.

Raikia has witnessed more than 15 murders since violence broke out in the last week of August following the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. Kandhamal had not reported any major violence during the past 10 days, but Saturday's development has come as a setback for the ongoing efforts to restore peace in the troubled zone.

On the other hand, total number of deaths in Kandhamal violence has reached 36 according to government reports. But in reality, the actual death toll might touch 100.

Click here for source

Church attacked in Chennai, security up

Miscreants attacked the CSI Immanuel Church in Chennai’s Anna Nagar, Thirumangalam area, late on Thursday night forcing the state police to beef up security for key churches in the city.

That attacks have a pattern, this was proved when a glass case, containing the Bible, in the front portion of the church was found shattered. Rev. Fr. Wellington Jesudas said they were shocked to notice the desecration. A name board with a Biblical saying inscribed on it has been damaged.

This is the seventh such attack in Tamil Nadu in the past four weeks. The incident comes close on the heels of the attack on St. Francis Assisi church in Coimbatore on Wednesday.

A few tombstones in a cemetery near Villupuram, 150 km from Chennai, had also been vandalized.

Additional Director General of Police (law and order) T. Rajendran said those responsible for the attacks would be arrested under the Goondas Act.

Click here for source

Another church attacked in Chennai

There has been another report of a church being attacked on Friday. It's the seventh such incident in Tamil Nadu.
Unidentified persons threw stones at a glass case enclosing a Bible at a church in central Chennai.
Earlier incidents were reported in places like Kanniyakumari, Coimbatore, and Madurai. State police are providing extra security to churches in Chennai.

Click here for source

Christians Send Love to Indian Leader Despite Ongoing Violence

Christian leaders and laymen have both joined in email campaigns, urging believers to wish the chief minister a happy birthday and to express "love" even after the pain and suffering the Christian community has been undergoing following violence on churches and clergies in the Indian state of Orissa.

Christians all over India have decided to present Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with flowers on his 62nd birthday on Oct. 16.

Christian leaders and laymen have both joined in email campaigns, urging believers to wish the chief minister a happy birthday and to express "love" even after the pain and suffering the Christian community has been undergoing following violence on churches and clergies in the Indian state of Orissa.

"Since we love those who hate us, please do not fail to send him special birthday greetings from the Christian community, especially from those who are impressed by his efforts to uphold the honor of women and enforce the rule of law in this state," states the email being circulated among the Christians.

The email gives the address of the chief minister's official residence and his email address so that the flowers and greetings can be sent both online and offline. The Orissa chief minister's phone number has been also added as a helpful gesture for those wishing to call the him on his birthday.

Meanwhile, a joint declaration was signed in the capital on Wednesday calling for an end to violence and the promotion of interfaith dialogue between Hindus and Christians.

The announcement came after a meeting between the Archbishops of New Delhi and Orissa and L.K. Advani, leader of the country’s parliamentary opposition - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Advani, who believes that India is a Hindu country and that all Indians should embrace Hinduism, spoke on the need for restoring peace and a sense of security in the state through cooperation between communities. He emphasized the need for "sustained and sincere" dialogue between Hindu and Christian community leaders on religious conversion.

"Religious conversions or re-conversions, using coercive, fraudulent and allurement-based means, or through denigration of others' faiths, are condemnable and must be stopped," read a joint statement released after the meeting.

The significant call came after a meeting between senior BJP leaders and Christian representatives, amid the escalating violence in Orissa, Karnataka and other parts of the country.

The Christian leaders condemned the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his four aides in Kandhamal district in Orissa.

Violence broke out in the remote eastern state of Orissa after a Hindu political leader, known for his anti-Christian conversion campaigns, was murdered. Police had initially blamed Maoist rebels for the murder, and the rebels themselves have claimed responsibility.

But Hindu radicals refuse to believe the rebels are behind the attack and continue to blame Christians for the death of their leader. While relations between the small Christian population and Hindus have been generally peaceful, Orissa has been plagued by religious tensions between Christian missionaries and hard-line Hindu groups who claim the Christians are forcing or bribing people to convert, as reported by The Associated Press.

Since then, thousands of people have become homeless, many churches were destroyed, a nun was brutally gang-raped, and at least 60 people, mostly Christians, have been killed in the state.

Prohibitory orders are still in force in the district and a night curfew has been imposed in most towns.

Babu Thomas
Christian Today Reporter

Click here for source

Violence mars Dassehra procession in Davangere, Karnataka

Davangere (Karnataka), Oct 9 (PTI) A chaotic situation was witnessed during a Dassehra procession here today as police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd which turned violent after some stone pelting incidents by some miscreants.
The trouble erupted when some miscreants, who were a part of the procession, pelted a stone on a prayer hall. The devotees inside the hall in turn retaliated in the same manner, resulting in a verbal duel, police said.
As the situation went out of control, the police made lathicharge, in which a few persons, including a photo-journalist of a local daily, were injured.
As tension prevailed, all commercial establishments downed their shutters.
Additional police force had been provided in the area and "the situation though tense is under control", they said.
No arrests had been made so far, police said.

PTI

Christians in Orissa relief camps still afraid to return home

Christians living in relief camps in Orissa's volatile Kandhamal district, where communal clashes since Aug 23 have claimed at least 35 lives and rendered thousands homeless, are scared to return to their villages although officials claim that violence is on the wane.

Jibit Kumar Digal, 30, has spent over a month in a relief camp at Baliguda, some 350 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, which houses more than 1,200 Christians.

Having seen Christians being killed and his house being burnt by an angry mob, he is terrified of returning to his village Barikia.

"Villagers have threatened to kill me because I am a Christian. They have said I will be welcome back only if I change my religion and become a Hindu. I don't know what to do," said Jibit Kumar.

Kaliamani Digal, 45, echoes the concern. "Of the 200 families in our village, only 45 are Christians. The Hindus have told us that we won't be allowed to stay there unless we are ready to accept Hinduism. We are scared to return home," he said.

Kaliamani has been living in the camp with his two daughters and two sons and wife since Aug 29, when their house was set on fire by a mob.

At least 35 people have been killed in the violence that erupted after the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others at his Jalespata ashram on Aug 23.

Three men have been arrested and charged with the murders. Police officers claimed they were trained by Maoist rebels.

Officials Wednesday said there have been no reports of fresh arson or violence from any part of the district and Christians can return home and be safe.

"We will provide adequate security to Christians if they return home," a police officer said.

However, there is deep fear in the hearts of the nearly 20,000 people living in relief camps in Kandhamal as well as in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Many claim that they have been threatened by activists of the Hindu organisations such as VHP and Bajrang Dal although leaders of these organisations deny making any threats.

District authorities said they had received over a dozen complaints of forced conversions to Hinduism. Victims claim the administration has not taken action and in many villages people have put saffron flags at the top of their houses to escape attacks by Hindu mobs.

"The administration is just remaining silent. If you want to live in the village you have to become a Hindu and put a saffron flag atop of your house," said Ashok Nayak, who has been living in a relief camp in Bhubaneswar with his wife and two children.

"I don't want to go home. I want to spend my life here. I have started looking for a job," he added.

Orissa is not new to communal violence between Hindus and Christians. On Jan 22, 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, 10-year-old Philip and six-year-old Timothy, were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in their vehicle in Keonjhar district.

Click here for source

Fresh violence in Orissa over Dussehra celebrations, 10 injured

BHUBANESWAR: In fresh violence in Orissa, 10 people were injured, two critically, as groups of Hindus and Christians clashed over the celebration of Dussehra in Malkangiri district, police said on Friday.
The clash took place late Thursday in Podia village of Malkangiri, some 750 km from here, police said.
"Ten people were injured in the clash, two of them critically," district superintendent of police Satish Kumar Gajbhiye said.
According to village sources, 12 Hindus and five Christians were injured in the clashes.
Orissa has been witnessing anti-Christian attacks since the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and four others at his ashram in Kandhamal district Aug 23. The violence has left at least 35 people dead and rendered thousands homeless in the district.
Although no fresh violence has been reported in Kandhamal in the past seven days, on Wednesday some houses were set on fire by miscreants in the neighbouring district of Boudh.
Police forces have been deployed in Podia village in Malkangiri to prevent further clashes.
Podia village is a block headquarter with a population of 4,700. Hindus and Christians are in equal number. The village has a few Muslims families too.
Meanwhile, many villages in Kandhamal district wore a deserted look as thousands of Christians who are living in relief camps are refusing to return home.
"At least 13,000 people, mostly Christians, are in government relief camps in Kandhamal district," a senior police official said.
More than 5,000 Christians are also staying in private relief camps set up by different Christian organisations in and outside the district, including in state capital Bhubaneswar and in Cuttack, he added.
Christians complain they have been threatened by some Hindu groups that they can return only after they become Hindus.
Thousands of Hindus have also fled to the forests to escape arrest by police for rioting.
The total number of people hiding in the forest could be over 10,000 and most of them are Hindus, the police official said.
Police have arrested more than 600 people, mostly Hindus, over the last week. The arrests are still on. Police are raiding village after village and arresting dozens of people every day, he said.
Swarupananda Patra, president of Orissa Minority Forum, said that hundreds of victims of the minority community have migrated to other states.
On the other hand, Subash Chouhan, one of the national coordinators of the Bajrang Dal, said tribals are deserting homes because police are arresting "innocent people".
Orissa is not new to communal violence between Hindus and Christians.
On Jan 22, 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, 10-year-old Philip and six-year-old Timothy, were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in their vehicle in Keonjhar district.
But officials admit that the violence the state witnessed since Aug 23 is one of the worst.

Click here for source

UPA may ask Orissa for Bajrang Dal dossier, looking at Governor’s report

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 9 With some key allies demanding a ban on the Bajrang Dal for its alleged role in violence against Christians in Orissa, the UPA Government plans to seek a detailed report from the Naveen Patnaik government on the activities of the outfit in the state.

Sources in Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told The Indian Express that data relating to the alleged involvement of the Bajrang Dal in fomenting communal violence has already been collected from other states. “But so far, there is no decision to recommend a ban on the outfit. Any decision in this regard will be taken after scrutinising whatever details we get from Orissa and various agencies,” a senior official said.

The UPA is divided over the issue of banning the Bajrang Dal. While key allies like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ramvilas Paswan are all for an immediate ban, others, some senior Congress ministers included, maintain that a ban is possible only if there is adequate evidence that can stand legal scrutiny.

At the Cabinet meeting yesterday, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said his ministry had collected some evidence against the Bajrang Dal but more evidence was needed to firm up a case for a ban.

Click here for source

Home Minister avoids query over violence in Orissa

Home Minister avoids query over violence in Orissa

Noida (PTI): Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Friday refused to comment on Orissa which has been hit by communal violence prompting demands for imposition of President's rule in the state.

Patil, who was addressing media after a function here, abruptly ended the interaction and went away when asked by reporters what the government was planning to do in Orissa in the wake of the continuing violence.

"At this event, it is not necessary that I take any other question than the purpose for which the conference is bing held," he said.

Patil also did not reply to a question on the demand for banning Sangh Parivar outfits Bajrang Dal and VHP.

During the interaction, he only talked about Amity University and how it is doing well in the areas of Nano-technology and Bio-Technology.

The demands for imposition of President's rule in Orissa and ban on Bajrang Dal and VHP have been made by key UPA allies RJD and LJP with their ministers Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan raising the issue forcefully at a special meeting of the Union Cabinet to discuss the Orissa situation on Wednesday.

The Cabinet was sharply divided over imposition of President's rule in the state as T R Baalu of DMK, A Ramadoss of PMK and Praful Patel of NCP reportedly opposed such a move.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is believed to have decided to send a ministerial team to Orissa for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation there.

Click here for source

Odd names for newborns in violence-hit Kandhamal

Berhampur (Orissa), October 9: Salmon and many others with such odd names for being born during the series of violence in Kandhamal district will never forget the clash which was witnessed not by themselves but by their parents sheltering in relief camps.

Salmon was born in the hospital at Raikia, the day when the district was burning after the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati. His mother rushed to the hospital from a relief camp at raikia where the family was taking shelter after leaving their home at village Dandibengia during the violence.

His birth amidst odd circumstances prompted his parents to name him Salmon meaning “a fish born in the river after swimming thousands of miles against the current.”

“We have decided to name him Salmon initially”, said his mother Timati Digal. His name may be changed later, said his father Rohit Digal.

Similarly, Shantamani Digal has chosen to name her newborn as ‘Danga’ (riots). She has chosen to name her son as Danga because he was born on October 6, when the district witnessed widespread riot.

Shantamani, wife of Trilochan Digal of Taladandapara in Raikia block of strife-torn Kandhamal district delivered the baby at Raikia hospital. She was taken from the relief camp in Raikia.

Renuka Mallick, admitted to the same hospital after being taken from a relief camp decided to name her son Sainika (soldier), who was born on September 21.

Shantamani and Renuka have common reason to name their newborns.

“Danga was born when the district was witnessing severe violence and we have never come across such a horrifying situation during our life-time,” narrated the baby’s parents, Shantamani and Trilochan.

“My son was named Sainika because he will become a soldier in future and maintain law and order,” Renuka said.

Timati, Renuka and Shantamani are the victims of the worst-ever communal violence in Kandhamal which claimed at least 35 lives and rendered several homeless.

“The condition of the newborn and their mothers are good,” hospital sources said.

Like Salmon, Danga and Sainika, atleast a dozen babies were born in the district in different hospitals after being brought from the relief camps during violence period, M M Patnaik, chief district medical officer said.

The relief camps were set up in Raikia, Tikabali, G Udayagiri, Tumudibandha, Daringibadi, Phiringia and other places of the district to provide shelter to riot victims.

“The women were not neglected and immediately they were admitted to the hospitals from the relief camps following labour-pain”, the CDMO said.

Click here for source

Jesus statue, cemetery vandalized in TN

VILLUPURAM/COIMBATORE: Miscreants vandalized a cemetery in Villupuram, about 160 km from Chennai, and a statue of infant Jesus was damaged in Coimbatore in the ongoing episodes of desecration of churches in Tamil Nadu.
In Villupuram, police said 20 holy crosses in the cemetery of St Paul’s church near Katpadi on the Villupuram-Chennai highway were damaged on Wednesday. A family which visited the cemetery to offer prayers saw the damaged tomb stones and informed authorities.
The church authorities lodged a complaint with the Villupuram West police who registered a case of promoting enmity between groups, disturbing communal harmony and trespassing.
Police arrested two people — V Kannan (33) of Muthope and R Durai of Sitheri — and remanded them in judicial custody on Thursday. Tension prevailed in the region for a brief period when representatives of some political parties staged an agitation demanding action against the miscreants responsible for the desecration.
Though at least eight incidents of stone pelting on churches have been reported in the state so far, it was the first time that a church in Coimbatore city has come under attack.
In the pre-dawn hours, a glass case in which an infant Jesus statue was kept was broken at the St Francis of Assisi Church at Athipa-layam Pirivu at Ganapathy. The statue was also damaged. Parish priest C S Madalaimuthu said the desecration was noticed around 5am by people who came for the morning mass prayers.

Click here for source