By Md. Ali and Mahtab Alam, TwoCircles.net,
For Christians in Kandhamal, it is like being between devil and deep sea. People are confused rather afraid, whether to celebrate it or mourn it? Reasons? One, justice is yet to be delivered to the victims of anti-Christians violence and two, Lambodar Kanhar, the leader of Kandhamal Kui Samaj, a communal fascist outfit, has announced to observe Christmas day as ‘mourning day’ and to hold rallies as a memorial for the death of Khageswar Mallick, a member of the outfit, who was injured while pulling down a Church and died in “mysterious circumstances” but the Kui Samaj people blame Christians for Mallick’s death.
One of the many Churches attacked during anti-Christian riots in Orisa [Photo bywww.thenational.ae]
“We are afraid that activists of Kui Samaj, an RSS-affiliated tribal organization, might attack us. People in my village are somehow celebrating Christmas but a fear psychosis is very much there about possible recurrence of violence this Christmas also,” said Kartika Nayak, a Christian youth while talking to TwoCircles.net from Barkhama village of Kandhamal district of Orissa. The district witnessed anti-Christian violence twice, in October-November 2007 and August-December 2008.
According to government figures, during the last bout of violence from August to December 2008, in Kandhamal district alone more than 600 villages were ransacked, 5600 houses were looted and burnt, 54000 people were left homeless, 38 people were murdered. Human rights groups estimate that over 100 people were killed, including women, disabled persons and children, adivasis and dalits. Three women were gang-raped and many injured. 295 churches, big and small, were destroyed. 13 schools, colleges, and offices of 5 NGOs damaged. About 30,000 people had to live in relief camps for months.
This is the fourth Christmas after the Kandhamal communal violence of 2007 but not much has changed for the victims here. Still there is the fear of attack from the Hindu Right wing and RSS affiliated groups. On top of that, with temperature at its minimum level, winter has shown that even nature is not a solace to these victims of communal onslaught. According to the local Christians, in order to prepare for the “mourning day” the members of Kui Samaj are holding secret meetings and distributing leaflets.
Survivors of the Kandhamal anti-Christian violence of 2007[TCN Photo]The local Christians fear that this “mourning day” will be misused to mobilize the Hindu tribal population for violent attacks against the Christian minority in Kandhamal. “Four days back three bombs were recovered and neutralized by the anti-bomb squad in Phulwani village”, said Father Ajay, a Christian community leader, who worked in the district. Allegedly these bombs were a part of the preparation for the “mourning day” to be observed on the Christmas day.
“We are reminded of the fact that around10 thousand people had attacked us and 321 houses were burnt in the violence occurred in 2007,” said Kartika with his voice betraying the similar sense of fear. While news from Barkhama village was not very comforting, on the Christmas eve, the dominant mood in Badimunda village was that of joy and happiness. The village which falls under Tikabali block of Kandhamal district was one of the worst affected areas in the communal violence of 2007.
Father Nicholas informed TCN that, “In spite of the undercurrents of fear, we have collected together to celebrate Christmas with the prevailing mood being those of happiness and joy.” The Father was relieved at the fact that police is “everywhere” and administration is taking precaution to avoid any possible incident of violence. The only regret that Father Nicholas has is that, he will be celebrating Christmas without the 30-40 families who are living outside the village after they had to flee to save their lives during the communal violence. Besides safety and security, at present another important concern for the Christian minority in Kandhamal is how to protect oneself from the extreme cold in the absence of proper house.
National People’s Tribunal (NPT) on Kandhamal held in August 2010[TCN Photo]According to Father Ajay, in whose office the nun was gang raped, around 6 thousand homes were required for the people whose house were burnt during the communal violence but the administration arranged for only 3 thousand homes. The money meant for the victims of Kandhamal riots, didn’t find way to them. He said that “there is also a great dearth of woolen clothes to save oneself from the temperature which is hitting its minimum mark.”
In the last week of August this year, an Independent Peoples’ Tribunal comprising many eminent personalities including Justice A P Shah, former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court and former IAS and National Advisory Council (NAC) member Harsh Mander, found that, “the survivors are under threat not to return to their villages unless they agree to change their religion, withdraw cases against their attackers, stop eating beef and dalits stay within limitations imposed by the upper castes. About 15000 people are still living as refugees outside their villages”.