Orissa violence: Paswan wants CBI investigation

New Delhi: With violence against Christians continuing unabated in Orissa, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) today demanded a CBI probe to nail the culprits behind the communal violence in the tribal state.
"I am writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get the entire gamut of the communal clashes in Orissa investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation," party chief Ram Vilas Paswan said.
The union minister, who recently visited Orissa, also smelt a rat in "transfers of sincere District Magistrates (DM) and Superintendents of Police (SP) from the affected areas" when the violence broke out.
"The BJD-BJP government led by Naveen Patnaik transferred the officers, who were impartial and would have worked hard to stop the communal violence," he said.
The number of victims who are leaving their villages to take shelter in relief camps is rising. The state officials are not admitting them in camps and asked them to return to villages, where they are threatened either to convert to Hinduism or face the consequences, Paswan charged.
"Most of the Christians killed in the Orissa violence were Dalits and they were well to do. It appears that the fanatics led by (Bajrang) Dal and VHP attacked them due to jealousy," he alleged, adding a number of Dalit Christian women and members for SC/ST associations met him in Bhuvaneshwar and narrated their plight.
In the letter to the PM, LJP has repeated its demand for ban on Bajrang Dal and VHP besides a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh each for family members of the deceased and the injured. Christians returning to their homes should be given security guarantee, he added.
Soruce: www.mid-day.com

'Sainthood to Alphonsa a rare honour for India'

Bhubaneswar:
Terming the sainthood to an Indian nun as a "rare honour" for India, Christian religious leaders today said it will inspire all to work selflessly among the "poor and deprived".


The leaders of the Christian community, which was targetted after the killing of VHP leader Laxamananda Saraswati in Kandhamal, said sainthood to Sister Alphonsa and the tale of her sufferings would act as an inspiration for the people working for the poor.


"Sainthood to Sister Alphonsa is good for the entire country and consolation for Kandhamal victims," Archbishop of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Raphel Cheenath said, adding this would inspire all to dedicate their lives to service of mankind.

Sainthood means becoming "close to god", he said.

Asked if sainthood of Alphonsa would help the nun who was raped in Kandhamal recently, he said it would be a consolation for all those who suffered during the violence.

"The life of Sister Alphonsa was full of inspiration for the people in Kandhamal who had suffered and lost their near and dear ones during the violence," he said.

Meanwhile, Vicar General of Bishop House Father Joseph Kalathil said here though the sainthood for an Indian origin nun was a "great joy" for the community, it would not have any direct impact on the victims of violence in Kandhamal.

"This is certainly a consolation for all the people hit by the violence at Kandhamal. But it will take some time to heal the wounds," he said.

Rape of the 29-year-old nun had caused much pain among the community members than any other types of violence in Kandhamal, Father Kalathil said.

Soruce; http://www.mid-day.com/

'Sainthood to Alphonsa a rare honour for India'

Bhubaneswar:
Terming the sainthood to an Indian nun as a "rare honour" for India, Christian religious leaders today said it will inspire all to work selflessly among the "poor and deprived".


The leaders of the Christian community, which was targetted after the killing of VHP leader Laxamananda Saraswati in Kandhamal, said sainthood to Sister Alphonsa and the tale of her sufferings would act as an inspiration for the people working for the poor.


"Sainthood to Sister Alphonsa is good for the entire country and consolation for Kandhamal victims," Archbishop of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Raphel Cheenath said, adding this would inspire all to dedicate their lives to service of mankind.

Sainthood means becoming "close to god", he said.

Asked if sainthood of Alphonsa would help the nun who was raped in Kandhamal recently, he said it would be a consolation for all those who suffered during the violence.

"The life of Sister Alphonsa was full of inspiration for the people in Kandhamal who had suffered and lost their near and dear ones during the violence," he said.

Meanwhile, Vicar General of Bishop House Father Joseph Kalathil said here though the sainthood for an Indian origin nun was a "great joy" for the community, it would not have any direct impact on the victims of violence in Kandhamal.

"This is certainly a consolation for all the people hit by the violence at Kandhamal. But it will take some time to heal the wounds," he said.

Rape of the 29-year-old nun had caused much pain among the community members than any other types of violence in Kandhamal, Father Kalathil said.

Soruce; www.mid-day.com

Orissa burning

By: AgenciesDate: 2008-10-10 Bhubhaneshwar and New Delhi: Unable to create trouble in Orissa's riot-hit Kandhamal district for about a week due to tight security, rioters sneaked into neighbouring Boudh district and set afire eight houses, yesterday.

"A group of miscreants from Gochhapada area in Kandhamal entered adjoining Kantamal police station area of Boudh late last night and torched the houses at Lamsaripali village," said Deputy Inspector General of Police R P Koche.

Some of the arsonists, including their leaders were arrested as police reached the area and swung into action after getting information about the incident, he said.

Ethnic problems
No one was injured in the attack and the damaged houses belonged to Pana dalits, giving an indication that the incident involved ethnic problems and not communal conflict, said Deputy Superintendent of Police K P Mund.

Police movement to the area was affected as the attackers had blocked roads by felling trees, he said adding that the village was also located atop a hill. "Additional security personnel, including one company of CRPF jawans and three platoons of Orissa State Armed Police, have been deployed in the area to prevent any major flare up," said Mund. Flag march was held by the security personnel in a bid to instill confidence among local residents.

'Dare ban the Bajrang Dal'
The Bajrang Dal that has been accused of masterminding the anti-Christian violence in several Indian states, has dared the government to ban it, warning that the authorities would face the 'consequences' if it was outlawed.

"We will fight the ban and we will go to the people to explain the injustice done to us.

"The elections are coming up soon and a ban will prove costly for the government," said Prakash Sharma, national convenor of the Bajrang Dal.
Source: www.mid-day.com

Trouble brews over 'holy' hill as Vedanta applies for lease

June 17, 2008, The bauxite-rich Gandhamardan hill in Orissa is likely to become the centre of an environmental and cultural controversy again after two decades.
In 1986, India's third-largest alumunium producer Balco had applied for a mining lease in the area when it was a government company. This year, the hill is being sought by Balco again, but this time as a private company owned by London-based commodities entrepreneur Anil Agarwal's Vedanta group.
When Balco tried to obtain a mining lease for Gandamardhan 22 years ago, veteran activists like Anil Agarwal of the Centre for Science and Environment, Sunderlal Bahuguna and the Gandhamardan Yuva Surakshya Sena fought the company tooth and nail. The state government had given in to the activists' demands then.
Two decades on, the company is back and the Gandhamardan Surakshya Yuva Sena is also ready to strike.
The non-government organisation said it was alerted by a notice stuck at the tehsildar's office last week asking people to give their views on leasing out the hill to Vedanta for mining.
However, the date for submitting objections had expired almost a month before the notice was pasted, the activists said.
Vedanta official P K Panda denied that a notice was issued. "It is not possible. We are only one of the 20 applicants and we may not even get a mining lease. Our turn comes last. There is no question of a notice being given out now," he said.
He agreed that there were environmental reasons for Balco being refused mining rights to the hills before. "We are now Vedanta. And as for trying for a lease at Gandhamardan, it is but natural that mining companies will try to get a lease at a place where the mineral is available. We can't seek permission to mine a hill-top on which there is no bauxite," he added.
Vedanta is already facing opposition to mining in the Niyamagiri hills in the Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district in Orissa. Gandhamardan is in the neighbouring Bargarh district.
In both cases the opposition centres on the fact that bauxite mining might endanger the river and streams that flow from the hills and feed the surrounding villages.
The destruction of local flora and fauna and the disruption of cultural life of the mostly tribal communities in the area are also cited as reasons for opposing these projects.
Another sensitive aspect of the opposition is the religious significance of the hill for both tribal communities in the area and Hindus.
The hill is mentioned in the epic Ramayana. According to legend, the mythological Hanuman plucked a portion of the hill to heal Lakshmana during the battles in Lanka.

The two sides of the slopes also have ancient temples that are significant to local faiths -- the Nrusingha Nath temple on the Bargarh side of the hill and the Harshankar temple on the Balangir side.
The hill is rich in herbal wealth and ayurveda colleges are situated on both sides, said environment activist in Orissa, Ranjan Panda.
Given the fact that the issues surrounding the opposition to the mining lease are unchanged since 1986, companies are keeping their fingers crossed. "It is our job to apply for permission," said Panda of Vedanta.

source:www.rediff.com