Kandhamal -- a status report:The 2008 violence in Kandhamal, Orissa, which began on 24-25 August 2008, continued for three months was recorded as the most severe persecution of the community in 300 years. The National Peoples Tribunal recorded that over 56,000 children, women and men, all of them Dalits or Tribals, were displaced and forced to flee into the forests as mobs burnt down over 5,600 houses, 300 big and small churches, schools, hostels and medical centres. An estimated 120 men and women were killed, many hacked to death by axes and machetes and several burnt alive. The murdered men included Christian priests of several denominations. At least three women were gang raped, including a Catholic Nun. The trigger of the violence that commenced on the 24 August 2008 came about by the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati in his ashram. The Maoist leadership admitted to the killing, the RSS in Orissa averred the crime to Christian groups. Seven Christians were accused for the murder of the Lakshmanananda despite the lack of evidence against them. The criminal justice, relief and rehabilitation systems have all failed the victim-survivors. Out of 3331 complaints, only 800 or so FIRs were registered. Out of those, only 518 cases charges-sheeted. Just 247 cases have been disposed off with a high number of acquittals. Out of 30 murder cases that have been tried so far, only 2 resulted in conviction for murder, and about in four for lesser offences (than murder). All others have resulted in an acquittal. There was political pressure exerted on all actors of the criminal justice system to facilitate exoneration of the perpetrators. It may be recalled that the Bharatiya Janata party was in power a s a partner of the ruling coalition. The absence of justice and the chaotic system has fed into impunity, as a result of which there are increased incidents of rape and murder of women and girls in Kandhamal in recent times. The lawlessness and impunity have contributed to that. The lack of security has seen thousands of people unable to return to their villages, while an estimated 10,000 have had to become migrant labour in other states. Relief and rehabilitation have been extremely tardy with the authorities failing in their duties to provide assurances of long term security, as well as resources and opportunities including employment to rebuild their lives. The victims have approached the Supreme Court of India for relief. The atrocities that happened there bear similarities to other communal violence such as the slaughter of Muslim minorities in Gujarat (2002) and Muzaffarnagar (2013) and the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage. An unsettling fact about these attacks is that they have been pre-meditated, targeted and systematic. It is an onslaught on religious minorities, aimed at disrupting normalcy of life and eradicating their religious identity, culture and heritage. -- Please also visit johndayal groups.google/group/JohnDayal johndayal.sulekha
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 04:16:11 +0000
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