Dhirendra
A-124/6, First Floor, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi, India - 110 016,
Tel. + 91.11.26517814 e-mail: insaf@vsnl.com, website: www.insafindia.org
PRESS RELEASE
Dated, 29th August 2008
STOP COMMUNAL VIOLENCE OR RESIGN
We are deeply pained and shocked at the happenings in Odisha since 23rd August evening. The mysterious killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was used by the Sangha Parivar as a pretext to unleash the dance of terror throughout the State, particularly in Kandhamal and neighboring districts. Attacks on innocent adivasis, dalits, women, children belonging to minority community were planned, led and carried out by the Sangha Parivar (RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, ABVP, BJP) without any limit. The violence is continuing since 23rd August till now. Begin from raping nuns, lynching innocent women-men, disable persons and others to burning houses, shops, schools, orphan homes, churches has been going as if, there is no end to it. As of today more than 20 persons have been killed for no fault of theirs. Thousands and thousands of people, who are no way connected to the killing of Saraswati, including pregnant women, toddlers and old ones were forced to leave their homes and are languishing inside the forests amidst rains without food, water, cloths till now. The Orissa Government led by BJP and BJD has miserably failed to protect lives, property and dignity of the citizens. It looks as if the entire Administration and Police have become deaf and dumb. There are enough ground to believe that there was a deliberate move by a section within the government that crippled the administration and police – leading the complete breakdown of governance systems. To mention few points -
Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was provided with special security by the Home Department. Also he had filed an FIR before 48 hours of the attack on him and sought adequate security arrangements viewing the letter from an unknown person threatening to his life. The Administration did not take any security measures to save the life of the Swami and others.
The Administration have allowed the funeral procession from Jalespata to Chakapada (about 130 kms) passing through communally sensitive places like Tumudibandh, Baliguda, Nuagan, other places with thousands of already agitated and armed mob and the leaders of BJP, RSS, VHP without doing adequate security arrangement. This mob led by Mr. Pravin Togadia and three Ministers of the present Orissa Government which caused severe violence against minority in almost all the places it passed through.
On the 23rd August night the RSS,VHP and BJP had announced that there would be statewide bandh on 25th August. The government, which already experienced the wide spread violence during Kandhamal bandh on Dec 25th 2007, was expected to take all the measures to prevent communal violence during the bandh such as deployment of adequate police force, preventive arrest of BJP,VHP,RSS leaders and others etc. But they failed severely to take up necessary security arrangement. The hooligans under the direct command of BJP and RSS leaders could burnt down shops, houses of Christians, ransacked and looted several Churches, burnt down some NGO offices, lynched a girl student of a Kanyashram and a priest at Baragarh, killed 3 persons in Kandhamal in the presence of Police forces. The Police failed to take steps to stop the nuisance. Is it because that there were no adequate numbers of Police forces? Why did not the government ask/mobilize adequate number of police forces?
Immediately after the murder of the Ashramites, the Sangha Parivar announced the bandh call for 25th. The just before a day of Bandh the government ordered the suspension of the Kandhamal Police Superintendent Mr. Nikhil Kumar Kanodia along with the local Police Inspector without posting any substitute to him and too knowing well what would happen on the next day. The same SP and his Team prevented a communal riot on July 22, 2008 following the tension centring round the RSS's opposition to beef eating by scheduled castes and tribes of Malipada village and RSS/VHP leaders had been demanding his transfer.
Viewing his roles during Gujarat riot 2002, Mr.Pravin Togadia, a national level VHP leader, who had been disallowed by different state governments to enter into their respective states as a preventive measure to check communal riots, was allowed by the Orissa Government to land on 25th during a very sensitive period and escorted to travel a 300 km long distance on road from Bhubaneswar to Chakapada, while several passengers were suffering a lot being struck in the airport because of the bandh. He appealed to the mob to take revenge of the killing of Swamiji and finish all the houses of Christians in the district within fifteen days. What made the government to allow such a person to visit the communally sensitive areas? Was the Govt. confident enough to tackle the situation even if such people lead the procession of already agitated mob?
Under the leadership of Mr.Pravin Togadia and in the presence of BJP Ministers and leaders accompanying the funeral procession, the attacks on minority community people was going on. Has the administration filed any FIR against such leaders and the rioters?
While Mr.Togadia was escorted to enter into the remote areas of Kandhamal district, the Minister of State, Home Department, Government of India was denied the entry by the Orissa Government for security reasons. If the Union Home Minister can not be provided with security - this is enough to understand what kind of security must have been provided to the poor villagers. And common people are being abused, raped, killed on every passing day.
In this context, we would like to put forth our demands for your kind consideration, as follows –
1. To immediately undertake the necessary rescue and relief measures for the affected persons, victims and bring back the people who have fled into the jungles out of fear and ensure complete security, food relief, medical treatment, shelter for homeless.
2. To declare compensation of Rupees Ten Lakh to the next kin of the deceased persons during the violence and bear all the medical expenses of the people injured during the riot.
3. To censure the present Government for its utter failure of the governance systems to protect the lives, property and dignity of the people and to take stern action against the individuals or organizations including the ministers and leaders who instigated/participated/involved in the violence.
- That all organizations who had declared the Orissa Bandh, led the mob on during funeral procession and who have been directly involved in the violent attacks on people, should be declared as "terrorist" organizations and should be put under the same category of other banned organizations in the country, with immediate effect.
- That the brutal killing of Swami Laxmananda and his associates should be thoroughly and impartially investigated, and that the killers be punished in accordance with the law.
- To stop the so-called Asthi Kalas Jatra throughout the state as declared by Mr.Pravin Togadia; which is intended to spread communal vandalism to other areas.
The Press Release is signed by:
1. Mr.Anil Choudhury, Social Scientist
2. Mr.Wilfred D'Costa, General Secretary, INSAF
3. Mr. Prasant Paikray, Convener, INSAF Orissa Adhoc Committee
4. Mr.Kedar Roy, Columnist and Political Analyst
5. Mr.Sangram Mallik, Dalit Rights' Activist
6. Mr.Narendra Mohanty, Social Activist, Kandhamal
7. Mr.Dhirendra Panda, Human Rights' Activist
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