Delgation meets President over Orissa violence: 50,000 hiding in forests, 43 killed

A civil society delegation led by eminent filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and general secretary of All India Christian Council Dr Abraham Mathai met with President Prathibha Patil to apprise her of the escalating Orissa violence and to demand enhanced security measures to the minorities.

The delegation included Archbishops Raphael Cheenath (Orissa) and Vincent Concesscao (Delhi), Dr. John Dayal, member, National Integration of India, Jamiat e–Ulema–e–Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani and several other noted Christian leaders.

During the meeting, President was informed that in the riot–hit district of Kandhamal, as many as 50,000 people were hiding in forests or had taken refuge in camps and the death toll had increased to over 40.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt urged the President to invoke article 355 of the constitution to force the Orissa administration to protect Christians.

While Article 356 calls for the imposition of President's rule in the state, Article 355 reminds both New Delhi and state governments of their duties to protect states against internal disturbances.

Bhatt told President Patil that the state government was in a state of coma and its police force did not know how to handle violence, while the Saffron groups went on the rampage. "The governments hesitate to intervene in such incidents, apprehending trouble,'' Bhatt said.

“It is the profit motive that makes governments act with urgency, not moral outrage or humanitarian concern. The inadequate response from the Centre and the state to meet the manmade tragedy in Orissa has made the situation worse.”

Abraham Mathai, vice–chairman of Maharashtra Minority Commission, demanded a complete ban on VHP and Bajrang Dal adding that “more than 50,000 Christians are living as refugees following the violence in Orissa and political parties are sitting as mute spectators.”

Joseph Dias in his address to the President, highlighted the fact that even Pope had been moved to speak–out on the happenings in Orissa, indicating how grave the damage to India's secular image had been.

"There is no rule of law, with the VHP, RSS and Bajrang Dal running the state as an extra–constitutional authority. This dangerous trend is spreading to other states too, especially the BJP ruled ones,” he said adding that “Innocent blood was slain, nuns raped, priests grievously injured and churches torched in the most inhuman manner.”

Claiming that over 4,000 houses have been completely destroyed, and as many as 100 churches had been torched, the delegation told the President that violence had even reached parts of neighboring Madhya Pradesh and that in Orissa, it was no longer confined only to Kandhamal but had affected other districts as well.

Police protection was being provided at relief camps and magistrates deployed at all sensitive places. Altogether 85 criminal cases, including 11 in Kandhamal district, relating to murder, arson and rioting were registered across the state.

The delegation after submitting a memorandum to the President told the media that, “President has assured us of examining the article 355 and implementing strict measures to check the violence in Orissa.”

Orissa government meanwhile has deployed additional security personal in the state as the week–long anti–Christian violence has reportedly spread to three more districts.

According to latest reports, over 43 Christians have died in days of unrest, and thousands more have fled their homes for the jungles. In the latest violence, two people were injured when police fired into a group of protesters yesterday. The violence has brought strong international condemnation including the pope and the Italian government.

The violence began after a Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, was shot dead ten days ago. Hindu mobs accused Christians for orchestrating the ‘ashram attack’ and have burnt down monasteries, churches and Christian educational institutions.

The VHP originally claimed Christians were to blame for the deaths, but Maoist guerillas have since claimed responsibility.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India–Maoist released a statement today saying that Sangh Parivar led by RSS groups, have deliberately misled people about Saraswati’s death. “The Sangh Parivar leaders like Praveen Togadia have been trying to divert the people by uttering lies that it is not the Maoists but Christian organizations that had carried out the attack on the VHP leader,” the Marxist group stated.

The statement was a response to VHP General Secretary Praveen Togadia's allegation that "it’s not the Maoists but a sect of Christians' who killed swami due to his strong resistance over Christian missionaries and conversion activities."

Hindu–Christian clashes erupt periodically in India, where Christians account for 2.3 per cent of India's billion–plus population.