Poor families suffer in riots - Kandhamal
A section argues Laxmanananda Saraswati is the villain and some other section advocates that Minister Padmanabha Behera is at root of all evils. The minister submitted his resignation; will all the problems be resolved? If Laxmanananda gets arrested, will there not be communal riots? Without getting the causal root out, many people try to treat the symptoms – which sometimes may give temporary relief, but never solves the problem. It is the same approach to blame or praise Narendra Modi, let leave the Sangha Parivar to carry on its campaigns to communalize the society.
Ordinary riot and Communal riot are characteristically two different phenomena. Leadership, people's participation, objective, organizational structure, spread-out, relationship with political power etc. are different from each other. Administration tries to handle both the kinds of riots in a same manner. Is it because of absence of knowledge/orientation or for inexperience or something else?
Is Communalism the twin sister of Globalisation-Liberalisation-Privatisation? Communal or ethnic riots are appearing in tribal intensive areas at a time, when the movements are at its pick against the mining companies by tribals and dalits. Experts can analyse if there be any correlation.
Civil Society raises its Voice: Protest Dharana against Communal violence
With the initiative by National Alliance of Women Organisations( NAWO) about 100 people from different organizations as well individuals demonstrated a Protest Dharana in front of Orissa Secretariat, Bhubaneswar. The participants include Prof. Asha Hans, Ms.Indira Jena, Bisakha Bhanja, Lalita Missal, Tapasi Praharaj, Farhat Amin, Sneha Mishra, Mr. Gananath Patra, Prasant Paikray, Ramakrishna Panda,Mahendra Parida, Arun Jena, Ranjan Mohanty, Pratap Sahu, Gadadhar Pradhan, Pradipta Nayak, Sukanta Mohanty, Ajay Mohanty, Rasmikanta Panda. A team of representatives met the Hon'ble Governor and apprised of the situation and expressed their concern for the affected people who are hiding in the forest in fear of being killed / attacked. The Governor spent about 45 minutes with the team.
Following were the demands made by the team to the Governor.
- To use his constitutional authority as the Head of this state to take proactive steps to stop the spread of violence and restore peace
- To instruct the state Government to deploy police force not only at panchayat Headquarters and Block headquarters, but also in remote affected areas as well as in sensitive areas
- To start relief camps in affected villages immediately
- To provide Rs 20 lakhs as compensation to families of the persons who were killed and Rs 2 lakhs to those whose houses and other assets are destroyed
- To identify and arrest immediately those who are instigating and fanning the communal violence.
Honorable Governor assured that he would definitely take steps on this. He also requested the delegates to give details of the affected villages and the details of the loss so that he can request the government to send relief immediately.
Poor families suffer post Orissa riots
Sampad Mahapatra
Saturday, December 29, 2007 (Brahmanigaon, Orissa)
On Friday, NDTV was the first channel to reach Brahmanigaon, the epicentre of the Kandhmal communal violence and found poor families belonging to both Christian and Hindu communities suffering as a result of the mindless violence.
The superintendent of police in the area was transferred and curfew imposed in the four sensitive towns in Khandmal.
Tension continues to smoulder in Brahmanigaon and nearby villages. On Thursday, Brahmanigaon, the epicenter of the anti-Christian violence that erupted on the 24th of December was in the line of fire yet again. But this time, the Hindus were at the receiving end.
On Thursday, 27th of December, a 2000-strong mob invaded the village and set nearly 100 houses on fire.
NDTV found a body on the village road, 36 hours after firing between the mob and the police took place. Locals say, the attackers took away at least six bodies with them.
''The intensity of the attack was really very surprising. I have never seen such kind of ferocious attack, mindless violence. Every one was running for life. I fired a few shots. They were indiscriminately firing from a distance and throwing bombs,'' said AN Sinha, SP, Gajapati.
It all started when a group of Hindus vandalised some Christmas celebrations on the 24th. They ransacked the local church and set some homes on fire.
The Christians fled, taking refuge in the nearby forest. The only ones left in the village are the old and the disabled.
''Where can an old man like me go? They have destroyed my house, which I built with the small money I had earned as a wage labourer. Now I have nothing to eat,'' said an old man.
''The Hindu brothers were participating regularly in our Christmas celebrations. But this year no one know why they took offence and attacked us,'' said a woman.
When NDTV went to the local school, at least 400 men, women and children were found huddled in small rooms.
''We are scared despite the police protection. We still fear we will be attacked once again,'' said a woman.
But Hindus and Christians agree that the administration was lax. But no one is sure what triggered the violence. The Christians and the VHP blame each other.
Whoever is to blame, it is the poor of both communities who have suffered and are still struggling to put the pieces of their village back together.
Death toll in Kandhamal violence rises to three
PTI
Saturday, December 29, 2007 14:56 IST
PHULBANI: With the recovery of one more body on Saturday, the death toll in the communal violence in tribal-dominated Kandhamal district has officially increased to three even as the government placed two police officers and one Revenue Inspector under suspension.
According to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Southern Division, Satyabrata Sahu, the body of a 65-year-old man was recovered from Barakhama village.
Sahu said the man had died two days ago during a clash between the two communities.
Sources said that while one person was killed in police firing at Brahmanigaon village, two died in stone-pelting incidents in Barakhama village.
Palpable tension continued in villages under Baliguda police station from where there were reports of house burning, they said.
"Though we have received reports of house burning at villages like Kutikia, Saudikia, Linepalli, Temanga and Sandrigaon, they are yet to be confirmed," Sahu said avoiding questions on the total number of houses burnt in the district.
He said the Circle Inspectors of Police (CI) of Tikabali and Phiringia were placed under suspension on charge of dereliction of duty.
Both the police stations were torched by the miscreants and two official vehicles of the CIS were burnt down by the rioters, he said.
The government also suspended Revenue Inspector (RI) of Khajuriapada where the rioters had set the revenue office on fire, destroying valuable land documents. Besides, the CI of Phulbani Sadar was also transferred.
The RDC, Central Division, Suresh Mohapatra, deputed to look after law and order situation in the riot-torn district, said that more "erring" officials who had failed to perform their duties during the hour of crisis would be suspended.
He, however, said that the suspension of officials would be done in a phased manner.
Mohapatra said more than 300 people were sheltered at temporary camps in Baliguda, Brahmanigaon and near Tikabali village. The government had been providing food and clothes tothem.
The RDC, Central Division said that the government was verifying whether some people had fled to jungles fearing attack on them in sensitive areas.
Earlier, both Hindu and Christian leaders had alleged that as many as 550 people from Barakhama, Katikia and Brahmanigaon villages had fled to the jungles fearing attack from the rival groups.
*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
*****************************************
MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
*****************************************
Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___