Revealed: Parties Involved in Violence Against Christians in Orissa

Various opposition parties in India have unanimously named former ruling party BJP and a Hindu fundamentalist organisation as the perpetrators of violence against Christians in Orissa state.

According to the Hindu Newspaper, a conservative English daily, Leaders of different opposition parties are unanimous in their finding that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar were the root cause behind the recent communal violence in Kandhamal district.

Though political leaders were barred from visiting the riot–hit areas, it also reported that the State government had lifted restrictions on entry of leaders of political parties into Kandhamal district. Following it leaders of various parties CPI(M), CPI, Congress, OGP, JMM, RJD of the State reached Phulbani, the district headquarters town of Kandhamal district on Saturday.

On Sunday they visited violence–hit areas like Khajuripada, Daringbadi, Baliguda and Barkhama before reaching Brahmanigaon in the afternoon.

A clash over a decorative arch for the Christmas celebrations on December 24 led to large–scale communal violence and attacks on churches throughout the district. Four people confirmed death while 95 Churches and 730 houses were burnt down or destroyed, according to All India Christian Council (AICC) many people are believed to be still hiding in jungles and hills in fear of their lives. And minority Christians as a whole are terrorized by the incident.

A fact–finding team of the Congress also visited the areas, which will submit its report to the party high command Sonia Gandhi. The leaders of the opposition parties visited the ransacked church and houses of families of both communities, which were devastated by communal violence at Brahmanigaon. They also inspected the relief operation.

‘Planned move’

State CPI(M) general secretary Janardan Pati said the recent communal violence in Kandhamal district was a planned move by the Sangh Parivar to test Gujarat experiment of communalism in Orissa. He urged the 80–year–old VHP leader, Laxmananda Saraswati, who was alleged to be the root cause of communal tension in the district, to try to bring in peace and unity in the district rather than dividing people on communal issues. The CPI(M) State polit bureau member, Ali Kishore Patnaik, said the State government was protecting the Sangh Parivar as BJP was part of the ruling alliance.

State Congress chief Jayadev Jena also alleged that the Sangh Parivar activists led by Laxmanananda Saraswati were instigators of communal violence in the district and the State government did not take security measures before Christmas celebrations to thwart the plans of the Sangh Parivar. CPI MLA N. Narayan Reddy alleged that the administration and police had failed to instil confidence in the minority community as at many places the victim families said the miscreants attacked their houses and church in the presence of the police.

Former chief minister and Congress leader Hemananda Biswal alleged that the government machinery was busy in suppressing facts related to communal violence in Kandhmal district. Deputy leader of the opposition in the State Assembly, Narasingha Mishra, demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on moral grounds for the communal violence in Kandhamal district.

All opposition leaders opined that the two visits of the Chief Minister to Kandhmal district after the start of communal violence was just an eye–wash as he never interacted with the victims, concluded the Hindu.

Meanwhile, India Christian advocacy body All India Christian Council (AICC) facts finding team have accused fundamentalist organisation – Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal to have contributed much to the violence.

AICC facts finding team claimed that the attacks were well and pre–planned, and looting and robbery were rampant, while local police remained a silent spectators. The sheer devastation and the barbaric act were never reported adequately.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is an Indian nationalist party who led the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government (NDA) with like minded parties. It is often described as a political outfit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). BJP is always supported by Hindu organisations like VHP, Bajrang Dal and others.

On the web:
1). The Hindu Newspaper Report
2). AICC Facts Finding Team Report