Situation still volatile in Kandhamal: Delegation to Orissa CM

A Christian delegation met with Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik apprising him of the forceful re-conversions occurring in Kandhamal and riot-hit districts where Hindu fanatics are going on the rampage.

Led by Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, the delegation alleged that peace still eludes Kandhamal district, which has been the hot spot since August 24, murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

The delegation also rebuffed reports claiming that people have begun returning to their villages and said the condition is still volatile.

Due to forceful re-conversions in the state, several Christians are feeling threatened, some even forced to display Hindu flags and images on their houses, they informed.

"Many are unwilling to return because the criminals are still at large and moving about with swords, guns, weapons etc. as in Kothingia/Tiangia of Raikia block and Sarangodo block," they charged.

A memorandum submitted to the CM noted that Christians leaving the relief camps in Kandhamal are migrating to those in Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack and other neighboring districts while few of them have managed to find shelter in south Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

"We are very much interested in the restoration of the whole situation there specially to bring back the refugees back to their homes and back to their villages. And for this we have requested a number of things to be done by the administration. They are already doing but we want that to be made more efficient and more practical so that the people can go back as early as possible," requested Archbishop Cheenath.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop claimed of receiving death threats in the aftermath of Swami Laxmanananda's killing on August 23.

"I received an anonymous letter from some Hindu youth organisation which threatened to eliminate me," he told the CM. Cheenath, however, said that he was not scared of the threats.

Following this, the Orissa police have beefed up security around Bishop's houses and other Christian institutions in the state.