Reluctant Orissa govt. agrees to EU visit

After little hesitation, the Orissa state government once for all has agreed to permit a EU delegation visit Kandhamal.

A 10-member European Union group led by deputy chief of mission in the Spanish embassy Ramon Moreno was to tour the riot-hit district from Jan. 27.

The delegation was to interact with the victims of 2008 anti-Christian violence and further review measures taken by the government for the resettlement of the homeless and struggling.

However, at the eleventh hour the Orissa government de-authorized the visit by denying permission "for any fact-finding mission".

Rattled over the decision, the EU group cancelled the trip calling it an unbefitting visit.

Later, after the intervention of the central government, the state authorities decided to re-schedule the travel and permit the delegation visit the tribal district.

"Though they will be allowed to interact with the people, it should not be like a fact finding mission," a senior official of the home department said.

The team could study the socio-economic situation at the ground level, he said. The date of the visit was yet to be decided.

Notably, the envoys of the European countries last year was disallowed from entering Kandhamal while being only permitted to visit Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa.

Following their meeting with the victims at the Bishop House, the envoys met DGP Manmohan Praharaj and other senior cops at Cuttack to take stock of the law and order situation.

Meanwhile, Fr Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the Catholic Church, confirmed that the delegation was to visit Orissa from Feb. 2-5.

"Naturally, the team has to inform the government of the details of its plan such as the villages they want to visit and the place of their night's rest," Fr Joseph told UCA News.

Fr Joseph opines that if the government has nothing to hide, it should not object to such interactions.

He also said that the EU group's visit shows the European nations' concerns about violations of human rights and religious freedom in the country.

"It is not so much an issue concerning only Christians. The EU sees it as a global human issue," he pointed.