Religious violence in Odisha

In December 2007, a series of communal violence occurred against Christians in Phulbani, Daringbadi, Bamunigaon and Baliguda towns of Kandhamal district in Orissa. Government had to impose curfew in order to control the situation.

Background

The attacks were mainly targeted against Christian community and were alleged to be triggered after an assault on VHP leader Laxamanananda Saraswati, who leads an anti-conversion movement. . The All India Christian Council claimed that the December 2007 attacks on Christians were not spontaneous but preplanned by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindutva groups.

It is alleged that the VHP activists fanned the pre-existing tension in the region, amongst people of different caste and tribes, on the issue of conversion. The Kandhamal district has 600,000 people of which 150,000 are Christians. Kandhamal has two different people groups - the Kandha tribe and Paana caste. The Kandha tribe is 80% of the population and 20% are a scheduled caste called Paana. Kandhas are socially and economically backward while most Paanas have done well (economically) after becoming Christian, causing tension within the groups.

The violence

On December 23, 2007: Hindutva affiliated Adivasi organizations organized a march, rallying, "Stop Christianity. Kill Christians." Suspecting rising tension, some Dalit Christian leaders lodge a complaint with the Police for protection.

The outbreak of violence started on 24th December, 2007 at 8.00 a.m. at Bamunigam village, close to the police station under Daringibadi Block of Kandhamal District. Some Hindu Fundamentalists forcefully removed the Christmas decoration, which the Ambedkar Baniko Sangho comprising the local Christian entrepreneurs, had put up as a preparation for Christmas, with the due permission of the administration. This was followed by exchange of hot words between two groups, as the Fundamentalists insisted to stop Christmas celebrations. Within a few minutes a group of people who were stationed close by pounced on the members of Ambedkar Baniko Sangho with sticks, knives and other lethal weapons like guns. Seeing the crowd coming to attack the people dispersed out of fear. The Fundamentalists began to destroy the shops of Christians. About fifteen shops were destroyed and looted. They also shot at Christian community by guns, badly injuring two of them. They also destroyed about fifteen shops belonging to the Christians and looted the property available. Several members of Ambedkar Baniko Sangho were beaten up by the mob.

On the second day, 25th December, the crowd came back and destroyed church buildings in Bamunigam area. Then they entered the Christian villages and burnt their houses and property. They were also threatened to leave their places.. The mob consisting of 4,000 people, many bearing symbolic tilaks belonged to various Sangh Parivar (Hindu nationalist, militant) groups, incited local Hindus into rioting. Official estimates stated that 20 per cent of the mob comprised people from Barkahama, 80 per cent from surrounding Baliguda, Raikia, Phulbani, as far away as Beherampur.

By December 29, 2007 nearly 700 persons, mostly Christians, had to move to government-run relief camps to avoid attacks by Hindu hard-liners in India.

By December 30, rioting started to get under control by the security forces such as the CRPF. Church service was held under tight security, for the first time since the violence started. The total number of security deployed consisted of 2,500 police and paramilitary personnel. The total number of people taking shelter in relief camps increased to 1200.

Details	Numbers
Churches/Institution attacked, broken, and torched	70
Houses broken and torched	600
No of people affected by this attack	5000
Deaths	9

On Jan 1, 2008 further violence was reported at several places Police said at least 20 houses and shops were torched at Phiringia, Khajuripada, Gochapada and Brahmanigaon by rioters on Tuesday night (January 1, 2008)

Response

The Prime Minister of India and other political parties condemned the violence.

Taking serious note of the attacks on churches and Christians in Orissa, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) sought a report from the state government on the violence in four towns of Kandhamal district

Organization such as the Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleged that the December 2007 violence was in continuation to an "anti Christian" campaign being run by extremist Hindu groups for several years and that the government officials had been ignoring such injustice.

Union Home minister Shivraj Patil visited relief camps and promised compensation to the victims of the communal riot. He asked the Orissa Government, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to probe the riots instead of entirely depending on the reports of the judicial commission of inquiry. There were allegation that the pro BJP government of Orissa had been slow in reacting to violence.

The Orissa government ordered a Judicial enquiry on the violence. Retired justice of Orissa High Court Basudev Panigrahi, Panigrahi commission, will lead the commission that would probe the incidents under the commission of inquiry act.

A three-member fact finding committee, led by National Integration Council,strongly criticised the ruling BJD- BJP government in Orissa state, saying that it (Orissa government) had shown callous indifference to a tragedy that was waiting to happen.