As regards to the various reasons behind the riot in Kandhamal, leaders of Sangha Parivar and Mr.T.K. Mishra, the Home Secretary of BJD-BJP Government could simultaneously see the hands of Maoists. Sangha Parivar strongly felt the nexus of NGOs-Maoists and they also could see this nexus extended to include Christians-NGO-Maoist together. Mr.Mr.T.K.Mishra assured to conduct an enquiry to see the involvement of Maoists and look into the funding channel from Evangelists-NGOs-Maoists-Converts. It seems one is deciding what should be focused and the other carries it further enuiry or campaign. The question arises who follows whom - Sangha Parivar to the Government or vice-versa?
This is true or false – I would request esteemed readers to send their comments.
There is no doubt - Sangha Parivar would not admit whether they had any role, directly or indirectly, in the violence, but the government also do not see any role of BJP, RSS, VHP, Bajarang Dal, Durga Vahini there.
However, 'Maoists' can be used as very good 'pretext'. Administration can use naxals as the reason for failure or non-implementation of welfare and developmental activities in rural areas; Police can use Maoists' resistance for the failure to control the riot; the 'ganja' cultivators (politicians and traders) can shift the responsibility; the contractors/block officials can use their name for non-completion of works; the police can take personal revenge against anybody through encounter killing of any ordinary person; even the anti-socials (goondas) can do any nuisance by using their name.
Sangha Parivar is known to be very good myth builders and expert in diverting the attention from real issue to non-issue, have been using 'Maoists' pretext time again. Now, Kandhamal riot is the right occasion for this, so that real culprits can be safely shielded.
Please see some statements given bellow and also I am attaching one article published in the Organiser and one memorandum submitted to the President, India by VHP.
Sangha Parivar Statements
Participation of Maoists in the Kandhamal violence do not deserve an iota of confusion
Ram Madhav is a former spokesperson for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: What made things worse in Kandhamal was the open collaboration between the Christian groups and Naxals. Among those arrested in connection with the burning down of villages inhabited by Hindus (Brahmanigaon, Jhinjiriguda, Katingia, and Godapur) were 47 Maoists.
Simanchal Khatua,Pranta Prachar Pramukh,Orissa : Even Maoists joining hands with Christians in attacking tribals was ignored by the international and national media.
Organiser, the mouthpiece of RSS: Involvement of Maoists in the Kandhamal violence is becoming increasingly clear. They were summoned by the missionaries of this district to attack the Hindus. The nature of attack and arms and ammunition being used for that purpose make their suspected involvement more clear. If Superintendent of Police Shri Amitendra Nath Sinha, IPS,
is to be believed, the fact is substantiated.
It was reported that the police administration of Western Orissa warned the government to ban the NGOs working in the tribal areas because, they alleged, the NGO funds directly go to the Maoists. If this is to be believed, the alliance between Maoists and Christians and participation of Maoists in the Kandhamal violence do not deserve an iota of confusion. Again, on December 31, the Maoists and Christians in two different press releases have demanded the arrest of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and ban on VHP and Bajrang Dal. Through this statement, the Maoists have already clarified that they are on Christians' side. (Excerpts from Organiser)
Orissa Govt. blames Maoists for communal violence
Statement of T.K.Mishra, Home Secretary, Orissa Government : "We see the attack on a police station at Brahmanigaon village as a Maoist attack.He said the police had evidence that "the attack on Brahamanigaon police station on December 27 was carried out strategically in a manner which was not possible by ordinary villagers. Trained hands could be behind the attack." (Source: PTI)
Probe into red funds source and Maoists- NGO links
"The State Government will investigate whether funds from the NGOs financed by foreign organisations are being channelised to the Naxalites," Home Secretary TK Mishra told mediapersons here on Monday.
Memorandum to the President of India
From: VHP DELHI HQ Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008
Evil intention of foreign funded Organsations and Church
establishments to get more funds is the main cause of disturbance
in Kandhamal (Orissa)
New Delhi, January 08, 2008 -
A four-member delegation representing the Kandhmal (Orissa)
tribals and other Hindus affected by the recent murderous
Christian attacks met Her Excellency the President of India today
and submitted a Memorandum that demanded that -
1. Government of India should check foreign funding to the NGOs
and Church establishments and frame laws to scrutinize the
activities of these organizations;
2. To protect all the rights and facilities provided to the SCs
(Scheduled Castes) and STs (Scheduled Tribes) and to prevent
others (non-SCs & non-STs including convertees) from taking away
those facilities by fraud;
3. Duly check and audit their such income and expenditure
profiles and seize and confiscate their accounts wherever those
may be in existence;
4. 'Propagation of Religion' does not mean the 'right to
convert'. Therefore, all conversion activities, that undermine
the holistic indigenous culture and religious traditions and work
against the unity of the people by breeding disaffection amongst
them and threaten the integrity of the country, must be banned;
5. To arrest, prosecute and punish those offenders and their
accomplices who murdered an innocent person and made an attempt
on the life of HH Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and torched the
houses of Hindus.
6. Let a Central Law be made to prohibit conversions by force,
allurement and fraudulent means presently going on in Bharat.
7. Restrain those that converted to Christianity from being
declared as ST.
Addressing a Press Conference, they said: "...The incidents that
happened in Kandhamal district of Orissa were unfortunate. We are
very much worried about the life and property of the minority
Hindu community of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district who
were very much affected by the recent violence.
The most dangerous facts which comes out of the analysis of the
incidents happened during this period indicates the aggressive
attitude and evil design of the converted Pano Christans
motivated by Church and other Christian Organisation like YMCA,
World Vision, Phulbani, Jan Kalyan Sabha etc. You can better
understand from the following instances:
1. Brahmanigaon :
Conflict started at Brahmanigaon on 20th December 2007 as the
Church people with the local Christians constructed a huge gate
covering the main road and a portion of the Durga Puja Mandap.
When prevented by the local public on 23rd Christians started
beating and even dishonor the peace meeting of the
administration.
2. Attack on Swami Laxmananda Saraswatiji Maharaj:
Fatal attack on Swami Laxmananda Saraswatiji, his driver,
security and his associates obstructing his vehicle on way to
Bramhanigaon at Darsingbadi by a group of armed Christians on
24th December 2007
Barakhama killing of Khageswar Mallick
Christian women petted stones at the Hindus returning from a
procession when an old tribal Khageswar Mallick fell down, he was
brutally stoned to death on 24th evening.
When Bhikari Sethi a Vendor of Birikot village of Gajapati
district was alone near Bramhanigon some Christians burnt him
with kerosene. He is saved by the Police and other Hindu
villagers and now undergoing treatment at M KC G Medical College
hospital.
On 27th nearly 3000 Christians of nearby villages of Ganjam,
Gajapati with the local Christians attacked the Bramhanigaon
villagers with arms and ammunitions and also with the help of
naxales. When the villagers fled away and surrendered at the
police station, the Christians torched the whole village and
attacked the police station. Exchange of fire continued for more
than four hours. One police and the Gajapati S.P. who were there
at that time were injured. One Christian was killed by the police
firing.
A young Christian who was seriously injured in the fighting
later found hiding in the Christian Sahi confessed the plan and
program of the attackers before the S.P. which has been recorded.
The most important factor which has made the Kondh tribal most
disturbed is the illegal demand of S.T. status to some converted
Pano Christians who are deprived of S.C facilities due to their
conversion by a planned conspiracy. Radhakant Nayak an Retd I A S
now M.P Rajya Sabha, who is a converted Christian got SC facility
stating himself as Hindu is charged as the main conspirator by
the Kandha community.
A large number of Christians who are converted are getting SC
facilities by false Caste certificates and some of them even got
S.T. certificates and serving in various Government departments
like Radhakant Nayank, John Nayak IPS retd, Isac Behera IAS retd
and several others. A list of 130 such names has been submitted
by Kandh organization to the State Government.
Christians have forcibly and illegally constructed houses,
Churches and other Christian establishments on lands of tribals
which they could not get back after Court order causing
resentment amongst the tribal like Barakhama and Sukhananda and
many other places (published in Samaj Oriya Daily dated 4-1-08)
Houses, shops and vehicles of Hindus are looted and burnt in many
villages where Hindus are in minority.
During the whole incidents not a single Christian was attacked.
Nearly 25 Hindus were injured by Christians at different places.
Large quantity of Arms were seized from the Houses of Christians
at Bramhanigaon.
Christians have beaten and threatened to kill in many villages
where Hindus are in minority like Gadapur, Katingia, Tiarigaon
etc which compelled the villagers to flee to the jungle or to a
safer place. 95 families comprising 430 persons in Katingia and
Tiarigaon of Bramahnigaon P.S are fled away to Merikot of Ganjam
and several others are in the jungles.
Knowing that Government will provide them with Indira Awas
Christians themselves burnt the houses. Similarly church
institutions torched their so-called Jhopadi churches to get
foreign aid and leveled blame on nearby Hindu community. Several
such instances were reported false by courts in the previous
years. Now it has been also supported by the Statement of D.G.
Police (Published in the Indian Express on 5-1-2008 )
All India Christian Forum leader John Dayal has admitted that
Christians have attacked Bramahanigaon village and involved in
the violence.
From the above facts one can easily understand the poor innocent
Christians of such remote areas could not have done such things
in a planned way without the support of any big foreign funding
organization. There is hidden hand of world vision, YMCA, NISWASS
etc and Church organization behind such incidents.
The evil intention of these foreign funded organization and
Institutions are to create social disharmony and conflict by
which they will get more foreign fund and tarnish the image of
the Nation.
Therefore we demand
1) Govt of India should check foreign funding to the NGOs and
Church establishments and frame laws to scrutinize the activities
of these organizations.
2) To protect all the rights and facilities provided to the SCs &
STs and to prevent others (non SC & ST) from taking away those
facilities by fraud..."
- Released by Gauri Prasad Rath, General Secretary VHP-Orissa &
Dr Laxmi Kant Dash, General Secretary, Vanavasi Kalyan
Ashram-Orissa from Delhi Camp
January 13, 2008
Page: 6/33
Home > 2008 Issues > January 13, 2008
Special Report
Evangelists tie up with Maoists to create mayhem in Kandhamal
By Debasis Tripathy in Bhubaneswar
The attack over the revered Swamiji opens the Pandora's box of missionary activities in Kandhamal district. On the eve of Christmas day, the Christians made a decorative tent for the worship of Jesus Christ. It was forcefully built over a Hindu puja mandap, over which Hindus used to worship Goddess Durga. This misdeed of the missionaries was strongly protested by the local Hindus.
The aftermath of the attack on Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati is quite shocking. In the trouble-torn area of Kandhamal, the Hindus are worst affected as they are being victimised by the evangelist Christian hooligans. Their houses are burnt down, cattle are snatched away, women are outraged, followed by destruction of a good number of Hindu temples in different areas, even in the presence of the police. About four hundred Hindus have taken shelter inside the forests in order to save their lives from Christian attackers.
On December 24, when Swamiji was going to attend a religious satsang, he was attacked in the mid-way by a group of missionary goons. Despite the severe attack, his life was luckily saved. It is no secret that due to Swamiji's relentless efforts since last 45 years, the evangelical activities of missionaries have suffered a lot. Swamiji is very much popular among the Vanvasi people, and has a very big influence over the natives particularly over the Kondh community. For his pro-Hindu activities, he was victimised by the missionary wrath in the years 1967, 1969, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985 and 1995. And the recent attack was the simple repetition of those past years. The violence in Kandhamal district is not solely due to attack over Swamiji. It was simple a co-incidence which fueled the burning fire.
The Real Cause
The attack over the revered Swamiji opens the Pandora's box of missionary activities in Kandhamal district. On the eve of Christmas day, the Christians made a decorative tent for the worship of Jesus Christ. It was forcefully built over a Hindu puja mandap, over which Hindus used to worship Goddess Durga. This misdeed of the missionaries was strongly protested by the local Hindus. It was finally turned into a clash between the two groups and the situation further aggravated when Pana Christians attacked the Kandhs.
According to the VHP sources, one such person promoting missionary activities in the area is R.K. Nayak, who after retirement from IAS has been elected to Rajya Sabha from Sonia Gandhi's Congress party. According to Swami Laxmanananda, Shri Nayak is a converted Christian but by producing false caste certificate as a tribal, he got himself selected for IAS. One can see a conspiracy in the fact that Swamiji was attacked in the ancestral village of R.K. Nayak. But Shri Nayak has cleverly clarified that he is not involved in the incident and he does not know who Swami Laxmanananda is! This statement of Shri Nayak is meaningless as even tiny tots know the revered Swamiji in the Kandhamal district, then how does this man of 65 does not know him? Among other such persons who are spewing venom are one John Nayak, a former DGP of state police and one Ijak Behera, an IAS (retd.). Both allegedly support the missionary activities, as they are converted Christians, revealed Shri Subhas Chauhan, national co-convener of Bajrang Dal.
"Demand for reservation to converted Pana Christians is the root cause of all problems. It creates turmoil among the Hindu Vanvasis. It is a matter of irony that even after having been converted to Christianity, the Panas enjoy all shorts of facilities meant for the Vanvasis," said Sangh's Prant Pracharak of Orissa Shri Ajit Prashad Mohapatra while talking to Organiser. "When a Vanvasi is converted from Hinduism to Christianity, he ceases his Hindu identity and as such he should not get any such facilities. In Kandhamal district, the government has no correct information regarding the real number of persons actually converted. The converted Christians also knowingly do not change their Hindu surnames even after the conversion. So they easily get all the facilities meant for Hindu Vanvasis. It is no secret that a number of Pana Christians have managed to get government jobs on the basis of false identification of being Hindu Vanvasis. It creates a havoc among Kandha Vanvasis," Shri Ajit Mohapatra added with grave concern.
Destruction of Hindu religious places is another cause
The Pana Christians allegedly destroyed the shrines of Hindu Vanvasis, said Dr. Laxmikant Das of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, who has been working in Kandhamal for last one decade. He says that the idols of village Goddess, popularly known as Dharani Penu, are forcefully thrown away by the Christian hooligans. According to him , about two hundred such incidents have occurred since last four years.
Hindus are more affected
In the recent planned violence by the missionaries, the Vanvasis are the worst affected in the area. About 500 Hindu houses have been burnt down, five temples have been destroyed, two Hindus have been inhumanly killed and about 400 Hindu families have left home to save their lives. One Shiva temple of Brahmanigaon, one Hanuman temple at Jaleshpatta, one temple of Goddess Dharani Penu at Tumudibandh, one Shiva temple at Baliguda and one Hanuman temple at Daringbadi have been badly destroyed by the missionaries. Similarly two Hindus were brutally killed. One Khgeswar Mallik, aged about 30 years, of village Barakhamba is murdered by the Christian attackers by pelting stones. Another Hindu of Brahmanigaon, namely Sethi Taili is killed by Christian goons. Villagers of Gadapur and Kitingia have taken refuge into the forest in order to save their lives. The latest information reveals that no relief has reached to them from the state government. These distressed and helpless Hindus have no other way left, but to sleep under the open sky. On December 30, 70 Hindu families wrote a letter to the Chief Minister in which they appealed to him not to send them back to their villages as their lives are not secured in the hands of the evangelists. They have demanded proper security for their lives and faith.
Maoists Involved
Involvement of Maoists in the Kandhamal violence is becoming increasingly clear. They were summoned by the missionaries of this district to attack the Hindus. The nature of attack and arms and ammunition being used for that purpose make their suspected involvement more clear. If Superintendent of Police Shri Amitendra Nath Sinha, IPS, is to be believed, the fact is substantiated. Shri Sinha, who luckily escaped an attack at Brahmanigaon, told Organiser about what he experienced regarding the involvement of Maoists. "On December 28, I was at Brahmanigaon accompanied by 40 constables of OSAP and SOG. We saw that the attackers suddenly marched towards us. They set the Hindu houses afire. We warned them and fired tear gas shells. But they were undeterred. Suddenly, a member of them came forward, took position and started firing bullet on the police like a trained Maoist. That bullet passed by my right side and hurt a constable. Then the attackers fired 100 rounds of bullets and used automatic rifles for that. It astonished me because on the basis of my observation in police, I can say that it was not the work of mere rioters. However, our bullets killed one of them. Later we came to know that the deceased gunner was an outsider; he wore a white scarf on his head. But we were further surprised when the attacker's dead body was taken away by his associates. The manner in which that was taken, is nowhere seen except in Maoist circle. I cannot deny the participation of Maoists in the attack," he revealed. Shri Sinha's statement is corroborated by the incident occurred at Brahmnigaon on December 31, in which 12 SLR guns, eight AK-47 rifles, 15 landmines and five bombs were seized by the police. How did these sophisticated weapons reach there which are only available to either police or to Naxals? It is an admitted fact that not less than 366 Christian agencies are working in Kandhamal district. They receive huge funds from abroad for their conversion activities, which are being spent through different NGOs. It may be recalled here that a news-item was published in Organiser ( 2-12-2007, page-17), titled as "NGO's funds go to Maoists". It was reported that the police administration of Western Orissa warned the government to ban the NGOs working in the tribal areas because, they alleged, the NGO funds directly go to the Maoists. If this is to be believed, the alliance between Maoists and Christians and participation of Maoists in the Kandhamal violence do not deserve an iota of confusion. Again, on December 31, the Maoists and Christians in two different press releases have demanded the arrest of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and ban on VHP and Bajrang Dal. Through this statement, the Maoists have already clarified that they are on Christians' side.
VHP meets the CM
A high-level delegation of VHP headed by its state president, Shri Bipin Bihari Rath presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik. Shri Rath and Justice (Retd.) M. Pappanna told Organiser: "We expressed our concern over the plight of Hindus in Kandhamal and urged the government to take immediate action against the culprits who attacked our revered Swamiji. We also demanded the increase of security to Swamiji, a scrutiny into the church funds and implementation of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, followed by an amendment."
Package for Kandhamal
On December 31, the state government has announced a package for the traumatised Kandhamal district. A high-level meeting was held at the state secretariat presided by the Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik. The government has declared the following package:
* Pana Christians will not get the status of Vanvasi.
* Caste certificates will be verified.
* Rs. one lakh compensation for every death.
* Rs. 10 thousand compensation for each broken house.
* New houses for every burnt house.
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