GCIC petitions against church demolition in Kandhamal

A Christian advocacy group has condemned the Orissa Government's decision to demolish a church at Nandagiri in Kandhamal.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), in a petition to the Chief Justice of India, called for restrain to the demolition order and called for support to the victims of 2008 violence.

Nandagiri in G. Udayagiri Tahasil is a resettlement colony where Christian families took shelter when they were not allowed to return to their native villages during the Kandhamal violence.

There are currently about 54 Catholic and 17 Pentecostal families at this resettlement colony. Since 2009, they have been worshipping at a piece of land, close to their settlement where they began building a small church.

"When any new township is planned it is a common practice that the government allot some land for place of worship. But when Kandhamal families were resettled at Nandagiri, no land was allotted," noted Dr Sajan George, President of GCIC.

Apparently the then collector Dr Krishan Kumar had verbally told Christians that the place where worship was being conducted would be gradually allotted for a church.

However, the leader of the local Christian community, Krisant Mallick, recently received a show cause as to why action should not be initiated against him for constructing the church.

Mallick pleaded that Christians had no other place for church and that they were worshipping on the plot of land since June 2008.

"You are directed to leave the place and take away all things and demolish the church under construction within 30 days, or else, all things and properties shall be seized and the church under construction shall be demolished," states the Tahsildar's order.

GCIC appealed to the Supreme Court to suo moto pass orders restraining the Kandhamal district administration from proceeding upon its demolition of the church.

"Justice is being denied to the Christian community in Orissa. The attitude of the Kandhamal district administration has, indeed, abridged the very concept of natural justice, which the court has espoused," commented George.

"The Supreme Court which is already seized of the matter, we are hopeful and confident, would do whatever necessary to rectify this grave mistake and to secure the safety and security of the Christian community in the country," he expressed.

Since 2006, George said, the Christian community has been under constant attacks with the Ram Sene and the Bajrang Dal activists going on rampage, attacking Christians, their places of worship and properties.

The GCIC has a list of 1500 such attacks, including 120 cases of martyrdoms.