By TCN News,
New Delhi: The social and economic boycott of Kondh and Panos Christians in Kandhamal, which first came to light in the People’s National Tribunal held in New Delhi in August this year, continues to be source of major harassment of the community, a fact finding team of social activists and lawyers has discovered in a field study of the region earlier this month. The preliminary report was released on 8th November.
Although the state administration claims of normalcy, the fact-finding team report reveals a state of lawlessness and utter fear and sense of insecurity among the persecuted Christians.
Indian Christians hold candles at a demonstration against the violence in Orissa
The fact finding team consisted of four well-known activists: Advocate Nicholas Barla, a tribal activist leader (team leader), Advocate Brother Marcus, a social worker, Jugal Kishore Ranjit, a Dalit human rights activist and Ajay Kumar Singh, human rights activist.
The team visited Kandhamal on 5th of November 2010 to verify the allegations of social and economic boycott of Kandhamal Christians. The team visited four villages of four police stations of three blocks in violent hit district of Kandhamal in Orissa.
During an interaction with the victims of the communal violence in Bodimunda village, the team was told by a Christian that the administration was hand in gloves with RSS workers.
For instance, there would be fines if any vehicle ferries any Christian be he healthy or sick, or their belongings from the village to outside or from outside into village.
“What haunts us and saddens us is the administration, the BDO and police, who are hand in glove with RSS. Instead of becoming sensitive to our plight, the administration wants to deprive us of our basic amenities,” said a victim.
The team was informed that the volunteers of RSS have banned the local auto-rickshaws, the only means of transportation in the area, from taking Christians passengers.
“We are not allowed to bring housing materials nor food provisions or medicines nor allowed to buy anything from the local shops. We do not have any shop of our own. Here, we are struggling to live as human being”, the victims said.
The team enquired whether they had complained it before the police, the people replied positively and explained the statement of Inspector in charge, IIC, Tikabali, who said “being a Christian you have to suffer and there is no option’
Christians who are reportedly forced to live as Hindus told the Team that they will be able to practice their faith openly only when the situation becomes normal.
The Team report also highlights the fact that there are a group of 15 police persons stationed in the village but they are mute spectators to these incidents.
The preliminary report of the fact finding team reveals that there are many Christians in the violence hit district who are forced to live as Hindu in order to save their lives and property.
For instance while visiting Bodimunda village under Tikabali police station in Tikabali block the team met a pastor who was forced to live under the name of Binod Pradhan.
A Christian woman in Gandapadar village in Minia gram panchayat in Phiringia block told the team that the RSS has given her a huge framed photo of Lord Shiva and a “Tulsi” plant for worship.
“We have kept them (the photo and Tulsi plant) as often they come to check whether we reconverted to Christianity. We know we can never leave our faith,” added the woman.
[Photo: www.churchtimes.co.uk]