5,000 victims, survivors join public rally in Kandhamal

Around 5,000 victims and survivors of the 2008 communal violence in Kandhamal district, Orissa, attended a public rally on Thursday to mark the fourth anniversary of the violence and call for justice, peace and harmony.

Local authorities only granted permission on the evening before the rally, and organisers claimed they had deliberately obstructed it for as long as possible.

Bishop Sarat Nayak, Catholic Bishop of Berhampur, addressed the rally, saying, "Peace can come only when there is truth and justice".

The Christians, some of whom covered their mouths with black ribbons, displayed banners with slogans including, "We want justice, justice, justice", "Stop politics in the name of religion", and "We demand brotherhood in Kandhamal".

The rally also included a song written by Sharada Charan, a survivor of the violence, which captured some of the collective sentiment of the victims.

The lyrics are translated as, "We are the people of Kandhamal / We are searching for our lost friends / We lived blinded by unfaith / We forgot love and affection in the shadow of discrimination / There are only sorrowful tears / Smiles of happiness have faded / the sons of the land are leaving / They are thrown away on the road of progress / So let's forget the past and move forward / Singing songs of love".

Fr Ajay Singh, an Orissa-based human rights activist involved in facilitating the Kandhamal rally, said, "This rally was to pay homage to the dead, and to call for justice, security and livelihood for the victims. It was to draw the attention of the government and other stakeholders to these needs, and to encourage the victims and build up solidarity among them."

"Despite the government giving permission only at the very last moment, the people came from far-flung, remote areas serviced with little public transport, braving the rain and possible threats and intimidation from the Sangh Parivar and government officials. That indicates their thirst for justice, which you could see written on their faces, and when they left, they had a feeling that justice would be done sooner or later. We need to see progress towards that," Singh said.

Violence erupted in Kandhamal in August 2008, following the assassination of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati by Maoists.

David Griffiths, South Asia Team Leader for Christian Solidarity Worldwide recalls that the 2008 violence in Orissa came only eight months after an earlier wave of violence, for which there was mass impunity.

"With extremists still perpetuating communal tensions and the victims remaining deeply disenfranchised, the only way to guard against further violence and to promote true peace is to secure justice. That is why the cry of the victims must be heard," said Griffiths.