Hindus, Christians flee to camps in Orissa

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo
Sunday December 30, 01:15 AM

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 29: Hundreds of Christians and Hindus, fearing post-riot backlashes, fled their homes on Saturday and took shelter in relief camps in Orissa’s trouble-torn Kandhamal district.

Speaking to this newspaper, southern range revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) Satyabrata Sahoo, who is leading the government machinery to restore peace in the area, said, "Not only the Christians, the Hindus were also seen rushing to relief camps at Brahmanigaon, Baliguda, Phirignia and Barkhama for security."

The RDC said while relief camps in Christian-dominated pockets saw a surge of Hindu refugees, the Christians flooded camps set up in Hindu majority areas. He said some camps had people from both communities.

Mr Sahoo expressed his displeasure at what he said was the "wrong portrayal" of the Kandhamal situation in a section of the media. "Some people are wrongly portraying what has happened in Kandhamal district.

They should come here and see how people of both communities are living and dining together in relief camps and how they are condemning the vested interests who have been trying to sabotage peace," Mr Sahoo said. The RDC said more relief camps would be set up at the panchayat level to provide security to people.

Meanwhile, top Opposition leaders, including Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena, Nationalist Congress Party state convenor Bijoy Mohapatra and CPI(M) state general secretary Janardan Pati, were denied entry into Kandhamal. The district administration did not allow them to visit the affected areas as it feared that their visit would further complicate the situation.

The leaders, however, alleged that they were not allowed to visit the riot-hit villages as they administration wanted to cover up its failure to maintain law and order.

Security personnel deployed in Kandhamal district on Saturday recovered the body of a 65-year-old man from Barakhama village, raising the official death toll to three. The police suspects the man was killed days ago in stone-pelting by a rioting mob.

Earlier on Tuesday, one person was killed in stone-pelting at Brahmanigaon village while another died in police firing at Barkhama village on Wednesday.

Mr Sahoo told this paper from Phulbani that the situation improved further on Saturday, although palpable tension prevailed in some villages under Baliguda police station. A few cases of arson were reported from the area, he said. "Though we have received reports of house-burning at villages like Kutikia, Saudikia, Linepalli, Temanga and Sandrigaon, they are yet to be confirmed," Mr Sahoo said, adding that additional forces were rushed to troubled and sensitive areas.

The circle inspectors of police (CIs) of Tikabali and Phiringia were suspended on charges of dereliction of duty. The Tikalbali and Phiringia police stations were torched by rioters and two official vehicles were burnt. The Khajuriapada revenue inspector was also suspended. The rioters had set the Khajuriapada revenue office on fire, destroying valuable land documents.

Meanwhile, VHP state president Bipin Bihari Rath on Saturday alleged that "a few NGOs, which have been carrying on proselytisation in Kandhamal district, have incited the riots there. Actually, those organisations were responsible for the attack on Swami Laxmananda Saraswati that led to the communal tension in the area."

Alluring to convert Sriganganagar episode exposes a Christian plot

By Lokpal Sethi in Jaipur

The police recovered two mobiles and a laptop, along with missionary literature from the possession of two missionaries. The entry in the laptop revealed the real purpose of their visit to Agrasen Nagar. Both of them had arrived there from Moga in Punjab and were in touch with some new converts.

A recent incident in agriculturally rich Sriganganagar district has exposed the claim of the Church and its missionaries that they are not luring the innocent people to Christianity by offering them bribes and promising jobs.

The two Christian missionaries received thrashings from the angry crowd, which had come to know their purpose of visiting the town, which is close to Punjab and also the international border with Pakistan.

The police, which were ignorant of activities of Christian missionaries in this part of Rajasthan, have now put them behind the bars. According to intelligence sleuths, of late, these missionaries are trying to shift their base in these areas as they are facing stiff resistance from the people in Vanvasi areas, where they had earlier established their strong base to carry out their conversion activities.

The details of the incident revealed that these missionaries were equipped with the latest caste-wise population details of the area and their aim was to select a particular section of the society to lure them to Christianity.

On March 23, two middle-aged missionaries, one Jacob Thomas (from Mumbai) and the other Phillip from Noida, landed in the city early in the morning. They straightaway went to the Indira Colony and held a prayer meeting at the house of a newly convert. Later with the help of this neo-convert, both moved in the locality. They were speaking derogatory language against Hindu religion and its gods. They were also telling the poor residents in the locality that they would be benefited in many ways and would also receive cash rewards, if they embrace Christianity, which is a modern religion and not orthodox like Hinduism.

Late in the afternoon, they were seen moving in another colony—Agrasen Nagar. Meanwhile, the word had spread that some Christians are moving in the town to spread the message of Christ. A group of alert people, belonging to Hindu organisations, surrounded them near the Shani Temple and there they were exposed of their nefarious design. Later, police was informed and they took both of them to a nearby police station. A case, under 295 of IPC, was registered against them. The police recovered two mobiles and a laptop, along with missionary literature from their possession. The entry in the laptop revealed the real purpose of their visit to the place. Both of them had arrived there from Moga in Punjab and were in touch with some new converts.

For years, Kota was the major centre of Emmanuel Mission International (EMI) founded by one Samuel Thomas, a Christian missionary from Kerala. Later, his son Dr. M.A. Thomas became its head. The EMI is running a number of educational and other institutions. Last year, a complaint was lodged against Dr. Thomas and some others of EMI saying that they were indulging in religious conversion. After an inquiry, these allegations were found true. It was also revealed that EMI was getting foreign funds in violation of the act.

The government superseded the management and took over the management in its own hands by appointing an administrator. This was challenged by Dr. Thomas in the court but he lost the case. But later a double bench admitted his petition and gave judgment in the favour of Dr. Thomas. The government has further challenged the judgment.

These cases and banning of the controversial book Haqeeqat, containing several derogatory remarks against Hindu gods, had dampened the spirit of the Christian originations.

The Vanvasi-dominated districts of Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Banswara and Partapgarh are the other areas, where Christian missionaries were arriving in big numbers as they found that it was easy to lure innocent Vanvasis to Christianity. They told the Vanvasis that they were not part of Hinduism and have religious identity of their own.

Till few years back, these missionaries, who had lot of funds at their disposal, were succeeding in their acts, though in a limited way, to attract the Vanvasis to Christianity. But with the arrival of Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad in the area, they are facing a stiff resistance from the people. The Parishad, in the last week of February, organised a massive Rashtra Shakti Sammelan of Vanvasis in Udaipur. The Parishad is working under the devoted team of RSS Pracharaks and its functionaries, who are determined to put a stop to these activities of the missionaries in this area, as it was slowly turning a gracing ground for these missionary organistions.

Now Vanvasi Kala Parishad Ashram as launched mass contact programmes in Jaipur and other cities to collect funds from common people. The funds would be used in putting up hostels, schools and astha kendras in the Vanvasi area for the uplift of Vanvasis and also to spread the message that they are very much part of the larger Hindu parivar.

According to Narsimha Bhatt, state president of the organisation, the total population of Vanvasis in the state is around 85 lakh and Ashram has set an target to reach all of them in the next few years.

According to intelligence sources, the strategy of these Hindu organisation has forced these Christian missionaries to search new places to carry out their activities. Sriganganagar and the adjoining areas are their first target in this regard.