A month after allegations of forced evacuation, Tikabali camp closed down

Even as relief and rehabilitation measures are underway to normalise the lives of Kandhamal Christians, another relief camp was reported closed down by the authorities in Tikabali village.

"The relief camp at Tikabali village was shut down on Sunday and about 100 people, who were in the camp, returned to their respective homes," District Collector Krishan Kumar told IANS.

The Tikabali camp was in news last month after activists of the Kuidina Forum for Peace and Justice accused the local administration of forceful evacuation of riot-hit victims.

The Kandhamal-based citizens' body alleged that after the visit of National Commission for Minorities vice-chairman M.P Pinto, authorities began forcing people to return to their villages.

Mr Hemant Nayak, convener of the forum, said authorities began the forceful evacuation after Pinto said "complete normalcy" was yet to return in the riot-ravaged district.

Pinto after his two-day visit expressed deep concern for the victims in relief camps and said "complete normalcy will be restored only after the last person leaves the camp."

The statement, says Nayak, might have led the administration to force the victims out of camps to prove the situation was normal.

Now, with the closing down of the Tikabali relief camp, there is only two more remaining in the district. According to Kumar, "Eleven of them have already been closed down."

When violence erupted in the volatile district of Kandhamal, there were total 13 relief camps established by the government.

The violence began with the assassination of a Hindu local leader who was allegedly murdered by the Maoists.

Following his slaying, Hindu fundamentalists instigated mobs to attack Christians and their properties. In the mayhem that followed, over 50,000 Christians were forced out of their homes to the forests.