Rehabilitation is nowhere near completion

Prafulla Das

KANDHAMAL: The administration, the Sal trees in the hills, vast stretches of barren fields and nondescript hamlets of this Orissa district give an impression that everything is alright with the people living here. But the reality on the ground is different.

A visit to some villages where Christian families were attacked in the aftermath of the killing of VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati showed that rehabilitation of the riot-hit population was nowhere near completion.

“I am still not able to return to my village. I have filed a case against those who burnt down our house. Those from the Hindu community have put up an impossible condition for my return. They demand that I bring along with me the two youths who had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for their involvement in my case,” says Subas Digal.

Digal (32), who belongs to Padhanpada village, is now living in a rented house at Tengedapathar village near Tikabali, and maintains his family by working on daily wages.

“Of the eight Christian families in our village, only one family has returned so far. The others are living in different places or distant towns outside the district,” Digal says.

Although there has been no communal clash in the district in the recent past, except for a small conflict between the members of the two communities on the eve of the EU team’s visit, many affected families are still living in relief camps away from their villages.

The process of payment of compensation is still incomplete.

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BJP criticizes Somashekhara for going public

BANGALORE: State BJP president KS Eshwarappa on Thursday took strong objections to former Justice BK Somashekhara making his interim report on church attacks public.

No head of a commission in the past has committed such a mistake and Justice Somashekhara should publicly accept his mistake, Eshwarappa demanded, while asking political parties including Congress and JD(S), to condemn the act of Justice Somashekhara.

Eshwarappa also pointed out that the report had nowhere held any specific organisation responsible for the attacks as it was being reported in the media. He also accused the Congress and the JD(S) of using the report as a weapon against the government.

To a question, he said that maintaining communal harmony in the state had been the prime focus of the BJP government and it would remain so in the future also.

MLA apologises

Gulbarga South MLA Chandrashekhar Patil Revoor who had publicly raised his voice against Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa during a function in Gulbarga recently, apologised for his behaviour on Thursday.

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AICC press release on EU visit

ALL INDIA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL

PRESS NOTE

Protest against hounding of G Udaigiri refugees as Kandhamal Administration cleans up district on eve of European Delegation Visit; government must give time frame for rehab, employment of all victims Kandhamal-Bhubaneswar, 3 February 2010.

All India Christian Council Secretary General Dr John Dayal, who is also a member of the National Integration Council, has expressed his deep distress and anguish at the hounding of and forcible evacuations of Christian refugees living in shanties in G Udaigiri in a cosmetic operation on the eve of the visit of the European delegation which will go to the district on 4th and 5th February 2010.

In letters to the EU delegation, as also to the State government and national human rights and minorities commissions, Dr Dayal narrated the plight of the 91 members of 21 families of 11 villages now being forced to live under plastic sheets along the road in the New Hatu-Pada [weekly marketplace] of G Udaigiri town, just outside the town.

The families are originally refugees from the villages of Killaka, Kutuluma, Rotingia-Porakia, Kiramaha, Dokadia, G-Mangia, Ratingia, Dhangarama, Lorangia, Dakapala, Rudiangia, in Raikia and other blocks. The group includes 11 married women, three widows, and an old man with fracture of the hips and thighs, and two infants who were born in the camp.

The families said they had to flee their villages in the first wave of violence on 25-26 August 2008, and were out up in the Habaika High school refugee camp run by the government. After some months, as the government arbitrarily started closing down the formal refugee camps, they were dispersed from Habaika and came to stay in the cemented platforms and structures of the New Hato Pada market just outside the G Udaigiri township. The men folk found casual work as labour in the shops and fields nearby as they were not being given any aid by the government, or indeed by any other official or voluntary agency. They had been abandoned to their fate.

They were constantly harassed by the market authorities, but allowed to stay on after their daily dose of threats and abuses. They could not go back to their villages where they had been threatened all these months with the village leaders insisting they would be allowed only if they converted to Hinduism.

Suddenly, when it was learnt that the EU delegation was coming, the Market Committee secretary, Jeevan Pattnaik, came with uniformed men, said he was going to lock up the pump of the bore well which provided them water, and told them to get out of the market. Barring the family of the man whose thighs are fractured and who cannot move at all, the other families fled the market and set up their shanties along the road, on the raised boundary, using plastic sheets as a roof to shield them from the winter.

Last night the Naib Tehsildar, the civil officer in charge of the G Udaigiri block, came to spot with a jeep of police accompanying him and asked the refugees to get out their shanties and move away. When they, and in particular the women, protested, he told them they could for the night come back to the market sheds, but to clear the road, as those were his orders. A blackout of the mobile phone system in Kandhamal which had lasted 48 hours prevented a faster implementation

of his orders as other officials had to be summoned from the Raikia town by sending a messenger. When I left the place at 10 pm, the refugees were still on the road in their shanties.

Dr Dayal said it was a matter of regret that a drive has been launched to ensure that visiting fact finding teams, and in particular the EU delegation, do not see the real magnitude of tragedy, and that it is continuing. Much worse, the inhuman trauma on the children, women and men who have been thrice displaced, has not even been taken into official consideration.

At this moment, there is no information if the authorities at all want to give land and rehabilitate this group of 91 human beings. The government has also not spoken of the rehabilitation of tens of thousands of refugees, or how it intends to see that the houses which were destroyed, are completed. Even with the help of the church, more than half of the 5,600 or so houses will still remain un-built, or incomplete. There is no information on employment of the victims and resuming the interrupted education of thousands of children. There are also over 270 families in Barakhama who were displaced in the December 2007 violence and are still to get land or house. The government must give a time frame for all this, Dr Dayal said.

The AICC has expressed the hope the authorities will take humanitarian action and settle the G. Udaigiri refugees. “We also hope the justice dispensation process will ensure just punishment for all those who are threatening this group with forcible conversion. The authorities must also take disciplinary action against the erring officials”, the press statement said.

Signed

John Dayal

Interim report on Church attack out- Commission wants clarity and action

MANGALORE, February 1, 2010: Finally there is light at the end of the tunnel, the interim report on attacks on Church and Christian Community in Mangalore in 2008 which was released here today has made several recommendations that may pave the way to a better management of communal and religious milieu in the district in particular and the region in general. The report of Justice B.K. Somashekar committee inquiring into the attacks on Churches, monasteries, convents and other prayer houses in September 2008 has been released today in a simple function attended by the press and few officials from the home ministry, police and the Deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada.
The report which is as voluminous as 500 pages of hard text was handed over to the Additional Chief Secretary for the Home minister Mr. Abhijit Das Gupta by the Chairman of the Commission Justice B.K. Somashekar.  In the report Justice Somashkar has made 20 recommendations and many of them were directions given to the government to withdraw all criminal cases investigated or charge sheeted against all persons or institutions for attacks to give that healing touch to the episode.
The commission has directed the government to take definite action unscrupulous religious organizations that carries out campaigns against other religions. "They should be banned as per law existing, to be legislated with the serious consequences of forfeiting assets to the government free from all encumbrances" he has advised. The cut off date for such an action should be 31st December 2008.
Justice Somashekar has also recommended that "All materials in any form including the press and media using abusive or insulting expressions either direct or with innuendoes touching the religious interests should be banned."

The report has suggested stringent action against those who film, televise and play offending religious sentiments. The recommendations has also suggested that the "government should enlarge the scope of Chapter of 15, specially sections 295, 295-A and 298 of the Indian Penal Code with stringent sentences of minimum period of punishment, with no bail and no right of appeal in addition to disqualification to contest in any election or to hold any post or office in any status.
Mr. Somashekar has stressed on the constitution of Commission of Religions. He has stated that the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution under the Article 25 should be the only criterion for this commission. This commission should represent all religions through their heads and a registrar of religions to execute the policies of the commission through the agencies of the government with its own regulations and decisions that binds the government.  He said "this measure will ensure protection and privileges to genuine members of a religious minority and eliminate fraudulent methods of misusing a religious tag for selfish purposes, detrimental to the religious interests of the country within the constitutional expectations. He also recommended that the government may conduct a census of religions and their institutions through the commission.
Other recommendations included, passing a legislation that will prevent atrocities on individuals on religious basis, religious harmony programmes to be conducted at village levels, claims of compensations to be cleared expeditiously by a competent authorities in the case of loss of life, property and material loss. The compensation should be cleared within one month of the reported loss. The report has also recommended "least policing or no policing." All religious matters has to be handled with care and compassion by taking the religious leaders or heads into confidence. In the course of the report Justice Somashekar has outlined various issues like the police excess, inadequate compensation, politicization of religions, using religious sentiments for political gains and has asked the government to constitute a "Commission of Religions" and a "Task Force" to take forward the recommendations of the commission.
According to the synopsis of the report there were no attacks in 13 districts including Bidar, Bijapur, Chamarajanagar, Gadag, Gulburga, Hassan, Haveri, Koppal, Mandya, Raichur, Ramanagaram, Tumkur and Uttara Kannada as per the report.

A total of 8 petitions have been filed from four districts- Balgakot, Chitradurga, Shimoga and Dharwad and according to the commission they did not conform to the reference of the commission.

In district like Bangalore rural, Belgaum, Kodagu, there were report of incidents but they were not cases of attack on the Churches or the places of worship. They were closed and compounded in Criminal cases as a private dispute. There were a total of 6 petitions in these districts.

There were a total of 55 petitions in Bangalore urban and Bangalore rural some of them were alleged attacks and some of them were true attacks these attacks have been categorized under minimum, substantial and grievous. Dakshina Kannada had maximum numbers of petitions with 554, followed by Davanagere 238, Udupi 100, Chikmagalur 27 petitions Chikkaballapur 7, Bellary 3, and Dharwad 2.

Christians want justice- Meet Commission Chairman

MANGALORE: The representatives of the Christian communities in the city have met Justice B.K. Somashekar and have appealed to him to protect them from the rabid Hindutva organisations who open attacks on the peace loving Christian community. They even gave a memorandum to him. Following is the text of the memorandum.

With great disillusionment we are making this representation regarding the treatment being meted out to the members of our community in our district and in spite of several representations and requests we are being repeatedly targeted and our religious places are vandalized by some hardcore fundamentalists without fear of any punishment, said the memorandum.

Sir, you are well aware about the preplanned and premeditated attacks on our churches on 14.09.2008 and 15.09.2008 and the backlash following the attacks. There afterwards it was but natural for the members of our community to be on the defensive and feel prejudiced. There after repeatedly our churches and institutions are being targeted on one pretext or the other. Though the government has been assuring that the miscreants will be taken to task and necessary actions will be taken against them, we are still waiting to get justice and we still are clutching to the hope that justice will be done.

Given the fact that our community members are still reeling from the aftermath of the unfortunate and undemocratic attacks on our churches in the District on 14.09.2008, such incidents only are rekindling the feeling of bitterness and anguish lying dormant in the heart of the members of our community. Further in view of the unfortunate incidents that followed the attacks and in view of the fact that there was great loss and damage to life and property following the attacks; it is but natural for us to become wary and defensive. That attacks have made us realize how vulnerable we are in our own land in the hands of few fundamentalists. You would definitely concede that if it were not for the restraint exercised by the members of our community following the attacks, story would be altogether different then. But we still stand by our policy of peace and brotherhood and take great pride and privilege of being citizens of our country. 

That recently when we came to know about the premeditated attacks being made to our churches and religious institutions in Mysore and Bhatkal solely with an intention to create communal discord by targeting the minority community we were constrained to seek protection to our lives and properties in the District by making representation to the Deputy commissioner and Commissioner of Police. This appeared even in the all the Newspapers.
We do not want any such incidents to occur since it will leave a trail of violence and destruction which we want to avoid at any costs. Our religious feelings have been trampled once again, we were made to feel like outsiders in our own land and we have not yet come out of its shock. We will not be able to withstand such humiliation and disgrace once more. Hence before any such incidents happen we need to be protected and proper precautionary and preventive measures needs to be taken to prevent any such attacks being carried out, they said in the memorandum.

Hence we kindly request you to direct the Government and the administration authorities and the police authorities to provide us with immediate proper protection for our various religious, charitable, medical and educational institutions and also to the entire Christian community at large and also to apprehend the people behind the attack for which we will be thankful to your good selves. Right to practice and propagate any religion is a fundamental right and state is duty bound to give protection in this regard as held by the Supreme Court. Therefore the Government and the District administrative authorities shall discharge their constitutional obligations and prevent such untoward incidents at least here afterwards. Kindly consider our humble request.

Justice Somashekar appealed them to exercise restraint and he will see to that the culprits are brought to book.

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VHP says EU delegation's visit to Orissa's Kandhamal would trigger fresh tension

Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP)  on Sunday said the tour of European Union delegation to Kandhamal district would trigger fresh tension in the district and demanding immediate withdrawal of permission to the diplomatic delegation from European Union to visit Kandhamal district.

VHP State General Secretary Gouri Prasad Brahma told here the media persons that the proposed visit of the European Union delegation should be cancelled by the state government and to withdraw the permission granted for the purpose .He expressed that peace had returned to the tribal dominated district after prolonged violence following the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Swaraswati.  The visit of European Union delegation would only spark off fresh tension . It  is the responsibility of our government to deal with the problem .There is no business of the Outsiders in the internal matter of the state.

It is to mention here that a 10-member Diplomatic delegation from the European Union is likely to visit Orissa on 2nd February, 2010. They will stay in Orissa up to 5th February. They will visit Kandhamal district to observe the present situation .They will discuss with the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary before their visit to Kandhamal district. They will also discuss with Ark Bishop Rafel Chinath and the leaders of Khristian Organisons . They are visiting Orissa under the leadership of Political Advisor of Delhi European Union Raphel Minat. The state government has allowed the diplomats to visit the communally fragile district .Besides meeting the people, the diplomats would hold discussions with the district administration. The district police would provide security to them. Though diplomats of five European countries had visited the state last November, they were not allowed by the state government to visit Kandhamal district.

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Five-year sentence for 13 in Kandhamal case

Court lets off 17 others for lack of evidence

Fine imposed for torching houses in 2008

Phulbani (Orissa): A fast track court here on Saturday convicted 13 people of the charges of arson and other crimes in the cases of rioting in Orissa’s Kandhamal district in 2008.

They were sentenced to five years in jail. The court let off 17 others for lack of evidence.

Arson charges

Judge Sobhan Kumar Das also imposed a fine of Rs. 2,500 on the convicts for torching houses in the Sarangarh area between August 2008 and October 2008. Eighteen others were acquitted in another case of arson at Phiringia.

In a different case, the court sentenced two persons to five-year RI and imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000 for arson at Ranjabadi village.

Fast track court-II judge C.R. Das acquitted four people of charges of violence in Baliguda area of the district.

Kandhamal, about 200 km. from here, witnessed widespread violence following the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23, 2008. — PTI

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Pastor Charged With False Allegation of Forced and Fraudulent Conversion

Hindu fanatics stopped a birthday celebration at Jeedimetla village, Secunderabad consequently, the pastor who came for prayer is currently facing alleged fraud and fraudulent conversion charges.

Sources reaching to All India Christian Council (aicc), the incident happened last night at around 9PM, a group of people claimed to be members of Hindu Vahini, a wing of Hindu fanatic group came and disturbed the birthday celebration of Mr. Ramesh's son. The fanatics intruded Ramesh's house and abused the Christian family.

When Pastor Satyam was returning back home after the birthday celebration, the members of Hindu Vahini numbering more than 50 stopped him and abused him with false charges of force and fraudulent conversion. Meanwhile the fanatics called the police escort and in the presence of Assistant Sub-Inspector Mr. Nayak, the fanatics forced Pastor Satyam to eat the food offered to idols. Fanatics threatened when he refused and latter took him to the Petbashirabad police station and released him at 11:30PM.

Pastor Satyam said, "Police officer on duty refused to register the complaint against the fanatics for the unlawful act of intruding into Ramesh's house and clogging his son's birthday celebration." He further said, "We will approach higher police authorities if the police officers on duty continue to refuse to take the complaint."

Pastor Satyam is the senior pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church and also member of All India Christian Council involves in defending the human rights of Christians and oppressed Dalit communities in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The state branch of All India Christian Council is filling a complaint against the Hindu Vahini members for the unlawful act against Pastor Satyam and Mr. Ramesh.

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Indian Church torched by unknown miscreants

A mob of unknown miscreants set fire to a Hyderabad church in Andhra Pradesh state, India on January 22, 2010.
According to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the group of miscreants broke into Gipsy Memorial Church in the early hours of the morning and poured out gallons of kerosene, setting the church on fire.
As the incident took place, Pastor Kumara Nayak (38), the minister of this church who resides nearby, noticed the church caught up in flames, and immediately ran towards the church to try and flight to flames.
In his attempts to extinguish the fire, he received third degree burns all over his body and was admitted to Relief Hospital in Hyderabad.
A complaint has been lodged against the unknown perpetrators at the nearest police station and they are making efforts to catch the culprits.
Pastor S. Kumara Nayak has been in the ministry for the past four years. He is married and blessed with two children.

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‘Delete converted Christians from schedule list’

BHUBANESWAR: Janajati Surakhya Manch, a forum of various political parties and social organisations, working for the welfare of tribals, sought the intervention of President Pratibha Patil for exclusion of Christian converted tribals from the scheduled category list.

A delegation of the Manch called on the President at Rashtrapati Bhawan yesterday and submitted a memorandum.

State BJP president Jual Oram who was part of the delegation told this paper that JSM had been mobilising both public and political support for constitutional amendment to stop this aberration. The meeting with the President was part of the exercise.

The delegation requested the President to impress upon the Central Government to bring necessary changes in the law to protect the interests of the tribals.

The JSM has been demanding that tribals adopting Christianity should not be allowed to enjoy double benefits - all welfare and service benefits of the Government meant for tribals and the status of minority.

Even after adopting Christianity, the tribals have been enjoying reservation meant for the Scheduled Tribes in Government services which is the major area of concern of the JSM.

The forum alleged that the Christian converted tribals are grabbing 80 per cent of the Government jobs.

Tribal leaders cutting across party lines are members of the JSM. Senior Congress leader and former MP from Madhya Pradesh Dileep Singh Bhuria and former MP Ananta Nayak were the other member from the State.

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A pro-Hindu Maoist splinter group in Orissa?

A new outfit calling itself M2 and claiming to support the Hindus and tribal people has surfaced in Orissa, raising doubts on whether the Maoist cadre in the state stand divided.

The outfit came out in support of the Hindus and tribal people after the Communist Party of India-Maoists claimed responsibility for the murder of religious leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in August.

A Maoist leader, through an audio release, claimed that the organisation in Orissa remained undivided. Neither the state government nor the police have any information about any split among left wing extremist ranks.

"Though some posters and leaflets appeared in the name of M2, the government is yet to confirm whether it is a splinter group of the original outfit or a new organisation," Home Secretary Aditya Padhi told PTI adding the intelligence wing had been examining the development.

While no one in the administration or police had any clue about M2 and its leaders, the mysterious body had already made its presence felt by enforcing a bandh in three districts on January 3.

The call evoked spontaneous response in violence-ravaged Kandhamal and was partial in two other adjoining districts, Gajapati and Ganjam.

"It was a successful bandh organised through posters and leaflets as no activist was seen picketing on streets to enforce the shutdown," a senior police officer said.

Officials in the intelligence wing, who have been keeping a close watch on Maoist activities in Orissa, however, said that there were similarities between the style of functioning of CPI (Maoist) and the newly-formed outfit.

Both undertook campaigns through posters, wall writings and messages on trees as the means of communicating with the people, an intelligence expert said.

While the CPI (Maoist) was affiliated to the PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army), the new outfit is supposed to have formed a separate ideological platform in the name of IDGA (Ideological Democratic Guerrilla Army).

The CPI (Maoist) had claimed responsibility for Laxmanananda's killing. But the new outfit, through its banners and posters, has pledged to protect Hindus and the tribal people.

It gives a strong indication that a small fraction of Maoists might have created a new outfit because of the change of stand by top leaders, a senior government official said.

''A top Maoist leader had earlier told the media that they work for the protection of minority Christians and, therefore killed Saraswati," the official said adding some within the cadre might not have supported the move.

Generally, Maoists across the country never are known to take any religious line. "This could be the first instance of Maoists eliminating a religious leader and working on religious lines,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the Kui Samaj Samanwyay Samiti, a tribal body in Kandhamal, had announced its support to the new Maoist organisation.

''We do not know who the leader of M2 is. But we support the outfit on the basis of the content of its posters. They have announced plans to fight for the interest of tribal people who are exploited,'' KSSS leader Lambodar Kanhar told PTI.

With confusion still gripping the people in Kandhamal and other Maoist-affected districts, the police was apprehensive of a battle between the two outfits on religious lines which could further worsen the situation in the riot-hit district.

''Tackling Maoist activities is a problem, but division on religious lines can have an adverse impact on the society,'' a senior intelligence official said.

Source

Victims forced out before EU group visit in Kandhamal

In order to conceal the hostile situation of Kandhamal to a visiting delegation, the authorities there are forcing many out of the refugee camps, claims victims.
A 10-member European Union group is to tour the riot-hit district from Jan. 27.
Led by deputy chief of mission in the Spanish embassy Ramon Moreno, the EU group is to go on a fact-finding mission during its four-day visit.
Following this announcement, says victims, many are being forced to move out from their camps for the authorities to project a tranquil outlook.
According to one source, about a hundred taking refuge in a local market complex in G. Udaygiri of Kandhamal was asked to vacate the earliest possible.
The complex was their refuge after the government closed many of the state-run relief camps.
"The local government has ordered to vacate people immediately and if we refuse police force will be used," a worried survivor was quoted by Bosnewslife, as saying.
Meena Nayak, a mother of two, asks "where can I go with these two babies?" Her second child was born in the relief camp after violence in August 2008 forced them out of their village.
"We cannot go back to our village, because they will not allow us to live there if we do not convert to Hinduism," she said. "The government is not prepared to provide security and necessary helps. On top of it they are trying to throw us out from here also."
About 50,000 had fled their homes during the violence in the aftermath of Maoists slaying a local Hindu leader. At least 20,000 people still remain homeless without any support from the government.
Says Fr Ajay, who heads an NGO in Kandhamal, "Even after seventeen months there is no justice for survivors of communal violence."
The victims, being poor adivasis and tribals, are reduced to beggars and second class citizens, he says.
He points that it is not a matter of charity that the government is forced to show concern, but it is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution of India.
The government although has promised compensation, it is not being equally distributed and also is inadequate to rebuild their homes or restore their lives, says victims.
Meanwhile, cold wave conditions returned in Orissa with the minimum temperature dropping in several parts of the state.
Phulbani town in the district of Kandhamal Sunday recorded 9.8 degrees Celsius, the days' lowest, an official of the meteorological centre informed.

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Missionaries beaten up in Karnataka

Five evangelists belonging to Friends Missionary Prayer Band were arrested allegedly for engaging in activities aiming to forcibly convert people in Kolar district, southern Karnataka.
The Christians were arrested from Nangali village of Kolar’s Mulabagilu Taluk, according to All India Christian Council (AICC). It said the the missioners were at a church construction site Nov. 24 afternoon, when the arrest took place.
AICC quoting its officials said a 30-strong group of Hindu activists surrounded the church construction site and dragged the five preachers to a local police station, accusing them of engaging in conversion activities.
AICC’s southern India general secretary Kumar Swami led a team of people to tell the police that the charges on the five were false. The missionaries were released the next day without any charges registered against them, according to SAR News.
In an another incident, Hindu fanatics numbering 30-35 caught hold of four Bible school students belonging to the International Cultural College of Studies, who were at a cultural exposure program in Madhugiri, Karnataka, Nov. 24.
According to sources, they were first threatened to leave the place or face dire consequences. Later, the miscreants dragged the four students to the local police station. The police provided protection to the students but they detained them at the police station for 24 hours for interrogation.
According to AICC around 30 people protested against the media team at Madhugiri. They surrounded the team and questioned them about their activities in the area. They also asked the team to leave the place immediately and threatened to harm them if they chose to continue in the area.

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Sangh Parivar was responsible for Orissa violence – Orissa CM

Bhubaneswar: Members of the Sangh parivar were involved in the communal violence in Kandhamal which claimed at least 38 lives besides causing damage to 4640 houses, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Monday.

"It is learnt from investigation into the riot cases that the members of RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal were involved in the violence that took place last year," Patnaik told the Assembly while replying to a question by a CPI member.

Sangh Parivar activists were arrested in this connection. Of them 85 were of the RSS and 321 members of VHP were rounded up on charge of riot. The number of Bajrang Dal workers arrested on charge of violence was 118, he said.

At least 27 persons allegedly involved in the riots were still in jails, the Chief Minister said.
He said house damage and house burning incidents were reported from at least 13 police station areas in Kandhama

To another question, Patnaik said the commission of inquiry probing the violence in Kandhamal after the killing of VHP leader Laxamananda Saraswati had so far received affidavits of 383 persons and examined at least 34 government officials.
- PTI

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Christian couple beaten in Kondagaon, Chhattisgarh

Attackers threw one year old infant on the ground

November 19, 2009

Raipur (CPINDIA) – Suspected Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena workers disrupted a Church service and beat up the Pastor, his wife and another believer in Fuka Girola, Kondagaon Block, Bastar District, Chhattisgarh on November 15, 2009.

According to reports, about 50 Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena members stormed the Church service being held in the village shouting loud slogans. They accused the Christians present of forceful conversions and picked up a man identified only as Dhanshu and beat him up. Dhanshu is said to be 34 years old and had his left year bleeding because of the beating that he received at the hands of the attackers.

When he was being beaten up, the Pastor, Anjan Kumar Netam, 35years, tried to resolve the matter peacefully but instead invited the wrath of the attackers who beat him up instead. They tore his clothes, took away his gold chain and Rupees 3000 from his purse.

When his wife Sonam, 30 years, tried to intervene she too was slapped and beaten.

Not only this, in a display of a complete lack of humanness, the attackers snatched the one year old baby boy of the Pastor from Sonam and threw him on the side.

The attackers were led by Ashutosh Pandey, the secretary of the Bajrang Dal, who also filed a complaint against the Pastor and other believers in the Kondagaon police station.

Pastor Kumar was admitted in the RNT hospital at Kondagaon for treatment of his injuries. The police only filed his FIR 5 days after the incident.

Church attacked again in Karnataka, Sources say it is the 56th case in 2009

Bangalore (CPINDIA) – Beersheba Church of God was the latest Church to bear the wrath of the Hindutva brigade. According to reports, a group of unknown assailants attacked the Church on the night of 17^th November. They broke into the Church at about 3:00 am and created havoc. The attackers broke the furniture, demolished doors, broke windows, and even removed the cross from the top of the building.

Chandrapa Devdas, the priest who leads the Church, informed the police and briefed the local media about the incident. The police Commissioner Mr. N Sathish Kumar assured the members of the Christian community of “prompt investigation” and action within 3 days.

According to GCIC, the latest attack on the Church in Humanabad brings the tally of attacks against Churches in Karnataka at 56. On November 12, 2009 another Church was attacked at Shimoga by VHP workers.

Sajan George, the president of the GCIC told the media: "The government is failing in its duty to protect Christian minorities and keep at bay the Hindu radicals .... The chain of political acquittals of the BJP, Manoj Pradhan, one of the main instigators of the violence in Kandhamal, has made it clear to fundamentalists that they can get away with anything, without having to face justice".

Karnataka Church denounces 'moral policing'

MANGALORE, India : The Catholic Church in Karnataka state has condemned recurrent attacks by Hindu extremists on youths from different religions socializing together.
"Why can't boys and girls from different religious communities have healthy interaction?" asks a statement the Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops' Council (KRCBC) issued on Nov. 20.
The statement, signed by council secretary Father Faustine Lobo, "unequivocally" condemns "moral policing" by "fundamentalist outfits," which it says has frightened people in the southern state.
The statement accuses Karnataka's pro-Hindu government of "misguiding" the assailants to impose their own outdated moral principles on others. The Bharatiya Janata Party has governed the state since May 2008.
The attackers, many identified with the group Bajrang Dal (party of the strong and stout), have created fear and hatred among people, especially on the state's western coast, according to the KRCBC.
Karnataka has witnessed 12 such incidents in the past year, eight of them reported from Mangalore, a major coastal town.
In the latest incident on Nov. 15, a mob assaulted three Muslim youths traveling on a bus with two Hindu girls. The five had traveled to Mangalore to attend a sports selection camp, but the attackers accused the boys of "moving closely" with the girls.
This "moral policing" came to the fore last Jan. 25, when members of Sri Ram Sene (army of Lord Ram), another Hindu radical group, attacked eight women having lunch in a Mangalore pub. Women in India traditionally stay away from bars and liquor shops, and the attackers accused their victims of corrupting Hindu culture.
Just two weeks later on Feb. 11, a 16-year-old Hindu girl committed suicide the day after extremists publicly humiliated her for being "friendly" with a Muslim boy and handed the pair to police.
"Who has given them power to safeguard girls from interacting with boys from minority communities?" the Catholic bishops ask.
Their statement says the Hindu groups want only to divide people on the basis of religion for political gain.
Karnataka has close to 53 million people, and nearly 84 percent are Hindus. Muslims constitute about 12 percent, while Christians make up less than 2 percent.
The KRCBC said the world is watching as the majority group rides roughshod over the rights of minorities, while "the police and the government are apathetic to the victims' pleas."
The bishops also approved the forming of people's vigilant committees to prevent such moral policing. "The Church is ready to join such initiatives to establish peace and harmony in society," they said.
Denis D'Silva, a former state president of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement, welcomed the bishops' move. "If we do not react against moral policing we would be promoting it," he said.

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Nine Convicted, 5 Acquitted, Manoj Pradhan, the mastermind of the Orissa violence on a fast track to acquittals

November 19, 2009, Bhubaneshwar (CPINDIA) - Nine persons were convicted and sentenced for four years rigorous imprisonments for their role in the Kandhamal anti-Christian violence of 2008.

A fast track court at Phulbani sentenced the nine, while acquitting 5 persons including Manoj Pradhan, the BJP legislator, who is allegedly believed to be the master mind of the violence in Kandhamal.

Manoj Pradhan has been let off for a fourth time by the fast track court due to lack of evidence.

The case pertained to an incident of house burning. Speaking to the media public prosecutor P.K. Patra said, "Nine people have been convicted and five have been acquitted in the case. They were accused of torching the house of Ratha Nayak of Mlahupanga village under Raikia Police Station area in Kandhamal district on Aug 27, 2008. The acquitted includes Manoj Pradhan, the legislator from G Udayagiri in Kandhamal,"

Pastor attacked in Central India

Mastoori Town, 25 October 2009:

About 11 masked men brutally attacked a 28-year-old pastor in Mastoori town, 15 kilometers from Bilaspur Railway Station at around 1:30 p.m. today, 25 Oct 2009. They beat him with hockey sticks and wooden sticks and their fists.

The Sunday worship service of the Beersheba Church of God concluded at 12:00 a.m. as usual. Pastor Pavithra Kumar (28) was approached by a young man enquiring about a boy. When the pastor said that he knew no such person, the young man left. But he returned with 10 masked men who came on six bikes. They called Pastor Pavithra out and then attacked him with wooden sticks, hockey sticks and their fists. When the pastor tried to run back inside the church, a woman from the church got caught in the middle and was injured. They closed the door onto their attackers. The men then threatened the pastor and the believers from outside and left the scene.

Pastor Pavithra has been injured badly especially on his hands, chest, back and head.

The pastor and believers went t the Mastoori Police Station to file an FIR when the policeman in-charge refused to file a report saying they had no knowledge of a church being run. After much persuasion the police filed the FIR and is at the church right now investigating the matter and questioning the believers and Pastor Pavithra.

GCIC

Police identify Kandhmal blast victim, unsure of Maoist link

Phulbani (Orissa), Sept 29 (PTI) The person, who was killed in a bomb explosion three days ago at a rehabilitation centre for riot victims in Kandhamal district, has been identified, the police said today.
The victim was identified as Ajaya Digal (35) of nearby Gutingia village under Sarangagada police station in the district, Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar said.
A senior police official said that his antecedents and whether he had link with Maoists were being inquired into as he had left his village in March.
Digal's parents were also being questioned, he said.

PTI

Three detained for blasts in Kandhamal

Phulbani (Orissa), Sept 28 (PTI) Three persons were detained today for interrogation in connection with the bomb blast at a rehabilitation centre in Kandhamal district which left one dead.
They were being interrogated for their suspected Maoist links, Kandhamal SP Praveen Kumar said.
Seizure of four guns from the site of the blast led to the suspicion that they had Maoist links, he said.
The identity of the person killed in the explosion yesterday has not been ascertained so far, while the injured has been identified as Patrasen Mallick of Batikola village.
The person who died in the blast did not belong to Batikola village and had arrived at the rehabilitation centre at Nandagiri barely five days ago, he said.
A forensic team visited the spot to determine the nature of the explosive used in making the bomb.

PTI