Kandhamal Observance Day 26th in G.Udayagiri
prashanti
Appeal to observe Kandhamal Day on 26th August for Justice, Peace and Communal Harmony
We appreciate your goodwill and solidarity for people of Kandhamal/Odisha as they are struggling to secure justice from the state. It is more than one year; Odisha government has not implemented the Supreme Court verdict of reopening of 315 closed cases and compensation to the victims survivors as well as ensure compensation for house destruction.
The violence in Kandhamal has a history of 40 years attacks on
the communities; attacking pastors, priests and Churches. The major attacks
were in 1986-87 too; when RSS destroyed 36 Churches; starting the major
onslaught on a first Catholic Village in 1985 immediately after their centenary
celebration of their faith journey. Moreover, Sangh Parivar led by its chief
with the participation of 14 ministers of Naveen government chose to celebrate
Gowalkar Birth Centenary in Kandhamal in 2006 led with hate campaign again christian
community; resulting in major violence in December 2007 and August 2008.
The violence claimed around 100 lives; one study chronicles of 40 cases of
molestation and gang rapes; reducing ashes nearly 350 odd churches,
dispensaries and voluntary organisations. The anti-christian violence was the
largest continued for almost over four months said to be largest in Indian
history in 300 years; where more than one lakh people took refugee in the
jungles and it took more than four years to return to their own villages in
certain pockets. Today, still there are many, who are not able to return to
their villages as they are forced to renounce Christianity.
Supreme Adv Vrinda Grover and Law Academician Saumya Uma, out of 3327 complaints, police registered only in 827 only; yet, they chargesheeted in 512 cases. Out of which only in 5.13% conviction rate. But as a whole, it is not just even one percentage conviction of the mass rapes, killings and destruction of churches.
In this struggle, Kandhamal Survivors Association every year since 2010 has fixed 25th August as Kandhamal Observance Day. National Solidarity Forum constituted National People Tribunal under the chairmanship of Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, AP Shah with active participation of eminent film makers like Mahesh Bhat and Javed Aktar. We appreciate people contributed very much and are part of our journey: Harsh Mander,Ram Puniyani Vrinda Grover Saumya Uma Dhirendra Panda Sasi Kp Anil Chaudhary Wilfred Dcosta John Dayal Shabnam Hashmi Sandeep Chachra Kavita Krishnan Paul Divakar Prasad Sirivella Ramesh NathanAsha Zech Brinda Karat, Suhasini Ali, Annie Raja and many other friends
The large scale violence upscale with Pravin Tagodia and Indresh Kumar reaching Kandhamal.
This year, it is observed on 26th August in G.Udaygiri. We are observing in different small towns alternatively to boast up the communities. Averagely, more than 5 thousand people gather while last year, there were 12 thousand people gathered. We expect this time around the same number. It is community led initiatives with all ecumenical groups. We hear this type of observance is only unique in India.
You are most welcome to join the observance.Here our demands:
1. Implementation of Supreme Court verdict of August 2nd, 2016
2. Enhance upto 15 lakh for the death compensation in line of Muzzaffanagar violence cases.
3. Enlisted the dead those who are not listed in death list for compensation and for criminal justice delivery system
4. Reopen of 315 closed/acquitted cases of violence.
5. Book for both state and non-state actors perpetrators involved in the communal violences; institute special inquiry into the district and police administration, who are in nexus with the communal forces
6. Announce special package for repair and reconstruction of houses as recommended in a study by former UN Sepcial Rapporteur, Miloon Kothari upto 5 lakh and compensate those who lost their businesses. Enlist those who are not missed out by acts of commissions and omissions for swift compensation packages.
7. Immediately establish Odisha Minority Commission
8. Facilitate Minority schemes and scholarship in time bound manner and hold the officials responsible for any lapses and delays in implementations.
9. Ensure minority community presence in important administrative machinery to ward off baised decision as well as for harmonious and participatory decision processes.
10. Scrap Odisha anti-conversion law and Presidential Order 1950 para 3 to make religion neutral and delink it from affirmative action
11. Constitute Citizens and community interface with the administration for effectively combating the communal forces
Thanks to Jose Kavi Suresh Mathew Jacob Kani Binu Mathew Ritu SharmaJaved Anand Teesta settalvad, David Griffiths Tehmina Arora Tenzin Wangchuk Pramod Singh Robin Ratnakar David AC Michael Rohini MohanNarendra Mohanty Kedar Mishra Prafulla Samantara Sandeep Kumar Pattnaik Prashant Paikray Mahendra Kumar Parida Pradipta NayakAbhiram Mallick Sangram Mallik and many other friends
We remember with gratitude to our late Archbishop 'Raphael Cheenath for his inspiration to fight for justice and peace in the region and taking up the case till Supreme Court of India.
Ajaya Kumar Singh
Bhubaneswar
Teesta Setalvad
A Flashback to Kandhamal Targeted Violence against Christians, 9 Years Later
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