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"Sources of the violence were deeply rooted in land disputes, conversion and re-conversion and fake certificate issues," Justice S C Mohapatra, heading the one-man panel, said in his interim report on the violence in Kandhamal which claimed 43 lives besides damaging many houses and churches.
He, however, did not elaborate on the conversions and re-conversions issue. "Suspicion among the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste inhabitants of Kandhamal is the main cause of riots with the tribals suspecting that 'Pano' dalits were capturing their land through fraudulent means," Justice Mohapatra said.
Besides the issues of land and conversion and re-conversion, Justice Mohapatra said fake certificates were another major factor that created discontent among Kandha tribals who constitute 52 per cent of Kandhamal's population.
Justice Mohapatra, who submitted the interim report on July 1, said the government should take steps immediately to remove differences between the communities.
"I know it will take at least two years to complete inquiry, but interim report will help the government to make immediate intervention," he said.
Justice Mohapatra said in his 28-page report that most Kandha tribals were uneducated and were under the impression that quotas meant for them were being availed of by 'Pana' Dalits, who were Christians.
This was another factor behind tribal anger, he said suggesting the state government expedite freeing of tribal land in possession of non-tribals, take up fake certificate cases and remain vigilant to conversion and re-conversion.
"Once the basic issues are addressed, the Kandhamal problem could be solved," he said.
Replying to a question, Justice Mohapatra said he had not blamed anybody for the violence in the interim report.
Sources, however, said the commission which was set up on September 3 last year could fix responsibility for the violence on any organisation or government body.
In the interim report, Justice Mohapatra had not blamed any religious body or the CPI (Maoist) which claimed responsibility for killing of VHP leader Laxmananda Saraswati on August 23 last year.
Killing of Saraswati and four of his associates had triggered large-scale violence in Kandhamal which evoked condemnation from many quarters in the country and abroad.


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Chandra SG, You guys have already stooped so low, because your sanghi aim is to rule this country like the mullahs are ruling Iran.Your only contribution to this country was the murder of the Mahatma. Your gift to our nation was Nathu Godse and yet you call yourselves Hindus, go and drown yourselves in chullu bhar paani.No Hindu from any decent family behave like osama-bin-laden, but every sanghi behaves and act like him.You have not only stooped to cheap levels, but you also stole the national wealth disguised as nationalists.Shame on you chaddi jokers.
Any democratic set-up will have internal differences on ways and means to achieve the final objective. The philosophy of BJP is Hindutva and I think it will remain the same.I fully agree with you, that BJP will need to address the needs of poor and struggling India. That is why, BJP came-out with development agenda of Golden Quadrilateral, Linking of Rivers, IT Vision, Vision for Famers, Girl Child
It is a pity that religion is today reduced to a thriving field of harvest for the staple food of politics. At the heart of every religion lies the message of love and life. Every religion essentially teaches to love one another and increase the quality of the common life. In this regard, all including politicians should be guided by these core religious principles not only in their private but also in their professional and public life. This is the type of conversion Indians require today. If we could make that happen, instead of exchanging opinions about the evil that committed, we could sit together and share love, life, joy and laughter.
Dear Lokstta , I Want to contribut yearly subscription of Loksatta pl.guide me.
Persons are expected to be in the religion of their birth. But due to greed to increase population in certain communities specially due to get bbenefits of reservation also conversion is going on. In fact even after 52 years of independence RESERVATION / QUOTA continuing is bad and this is also reason for poor quality of education and culture and has given room for conversion and hatred. It is high time QUOTAS/Reservations are stopped and commence treating ALL PEOPLE AS EQUAL and give good education and training paying attention to economical conditions of the family only for all types of help. This ends most problems and paves way for good corruption and conflicts free governance.B S GANESH, BANGALORE
Your criticism lacks logic and is highly objectionable as it is cheap and shows your real class.Anyway, I'll not stoop to your level.I can tell one thing for sure. RSS is the country;s "First organisation" like president of our country is "First citizen" If there is any eligibility for any person to be called as Indians.. then it is first the RSS men. You read about the RSS first and dont call them 'taliban'. You've not seeen Taliban yet... that is why you are using that word pretty loosely. RSS is worlds largest voluntary organisation for cultural nationalism.Their contribution in the social activity during recent Kosi floods, Tsunami, Gujarat Earth Quakes is paralleled only by Indian Army. It is important that you learn about RSS before using your filthy language.Please restain your language.
Sanghis have always played double games with us Hindus, they were clearly seen cooperating with Kandahar terrorists to whom they also paid huge sums of money di sguised as ransom, and, according to Madan Lal Khurana, Advani and Sushma Swaraj have links with the most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim.
Sanghparivar wanted us Hindus to behave like Al-Qaida terrorists, but their game is over. Every Sanghi
Now, we can see the secularists rejecting the commission's report and blaming him to be a Hindu communalist because he did not give an interim report supporting their view that the Sangh Parivaar was responsible for the Kandhamaal riots just as they blamed Justice Nanavati for not giving them the type of report they wanted regarding the Gujarat riots. This is Indian secularism at its glorifying peak.
we hindus are responsible for all what is happening in India and outside world , we were never united. we only talk its high time to show our strength , as an organisation we need to combine our forces to fight evil unleashed by jihadi nd missionaries forces
This is in reply to the comments of MR. Vinod Kumar Mahanti. At the outset, if you are a christian why you keep your name as VK? You are a convert, born to a hindu family (your parents or forefathers), who gave birth by praying to hindu gods during gestation period. It is like insulting your own parents. On the other hand, you can see in India - Scheduled Caste Christians
CSI is very clever they permit them to retian hindu name like Y Samuel Rajashekar Reddy and he conveniently hides Samuel in all correspondences.
Vinod Kumar Mahanti- Who the heck on earth gave you rights to speak about Sanskrit. Do not justify what the British did was good. I am tired of this bull shit. The british (your messengers of Christianity) came to India to loot. Every religion has its own set of people who misunderstand it and corrupt the thoughts and people like you take advantage to speak about the religion itself. What do you know about the values of Hinduism to speak about what the religion preaches? Do you know if Sati/ and casteism are preached by Hinduism. I am not a fan of Hindutva, but Sanskrit and Hinduism is far beyond you. Now my question to Christian missionaries, if you truly care about the life of the people why do you offer money only if people convert? --Any thoughts about that? You do not know how to respect a language and I wonder what you were taught by your religion or your teachers.
This is not the first time that the Kandhas and the Panas are at war. In 1992, the war between them lasted for three months, resulting in over 20 deaths. The issue was then, as it is now, land and reservation, which was the very consequence of conversion of the Panas to Christianity . The Panas got financial and political advantage and also gained lands belonging to the Kandhas. Though they lost their reservation benefits in the bargain, they began reclaiming them through their demand for ST status. It needs no seer to say that it is religious conversions that sequenced into hostilities between the Kandhas disadvantaged as Hindou majority and the Panas protected as Christian minority. No major clash between the Kandhas and the Panas was reported before the missionaries entered Kandhamal. The Christian population in Kandhamal which was some two per cent in 1961 and six per cent in 1971, rose to 27 per cent in 2001.These numbers speak volumes.
NHRC NMC are active only when the sufferers are non-Hindous,namely Christians and Muslims. But when it’s a case of Hindous being the minority community, their sufferings are totally ignored.Take the case of Hindou Reangs of Mizoram: they have been driven out of the state since they refuse to embrace Christianity. The NMC has never bothered to visit the camps of these 30,000 unfortunate Reangs in Tripura. Nor has it bothered to look into the pathetic living conditions of Kashmiri Pandits, either in Jammu or elsewhere.Hindous, as a minority community, cannot celebrate Durga Puja in southern Tripura, Meghalaya and other Christian majority states of the east. Does the Constitution define minorities as only non-Hindous? Now, when some churches have been attacked in and around Mangalore, they have rushed in, which has ultimately resulted in the Central Government issuing a warning to the Karnataka government.
If the Govt cannot ban conversions, at least, it should not encourage conversions. If it does not interfere, it should have no objection for reconversions and, as a matter of fact, encourage reconversions. The majority Hindou has no say in any matter. They are penalised for being a majority. Their lives are cheap. The person heading the party and the person heading the Govet belonging to minority communities silently watch the deaths of thousands of Hindous with callous unconcern. If thousands and thousands of Hindou temples are demolished, they just do not bother. If an insignificant structure somewhere in a corner is touched, they themselves raise a hue and cry. India is one country where minorities rule the majority. This state of affairs needs to be changed at once. WE cannot afford to lose any more of Hindou lives - common citizens, BSF Jawans, Army Commandos. He betrayed the country. All those who were against Hindous were encouraged. No more patience. It is suicidal.
After Kerala TN Orissa missionaries are aggressive in AP and KarnatakaAlarming 5 fold increase in Kandhamal Christian population from six per cent in 1971 to 27 per cent in 2001 ,It began with the arrival of Christian missionaries in the area who found the remote region very conducive to conduct prosetylization amongst the poor tribals. The conversions continued unhindered until the arrival of Swami Laxmanananda who put strenuous efforts to stop conversions and help reconversion to Hindouism as well. If not for his effort Kandhamal would have been another Nagaland in the making where the separatist movement has wrecked havoc in the state. The aggressive Christian proselytization in Orissa today pitched previously peaceful tribals into warring camps of Christians and non-Christian. This has has vitiated the peace that has existed with various communities for millenia. Why Orissa Orissa has been specially targeted because of a huge tribal population.
Dear Sir: All historical facts confirm, people of India suffered most than any one else due to foreign invaders as muslims and christians who conducted human carnage on the natives of India the hindus in a savage manner for about one thousand years beginning 721 A.D What was India was described by Max Muller in his " India, What It Can Teach Us" which says: If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power, and beauty that nature can bestow..in some facts a very paradise on earth.. I should point to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of the choicest gits has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life and has found solutions of some them which well desrve the attention.. I should point to India. Mr. MacAuley said " we could not vanquish the natives of India the hindoos the same way we did to natives of America.."If that happened I or Mr. Mahanti wont be here today.
Many BJP leaders themselves are concerned about the party's growing isolation because of being perceived as a threat for the communal peace and harmony.We know Modi and Varun are targeted in BJP's inner party struggles.These reality feelers in BJP demand a shift saying goodbye to its discredited hindutava for a change in the party image.India does not need communal tensions and controversies anymore.Why not opposition parties focus on struggles for the uplift of poor people instead of activating fault lines of history?Here in Punjab we know fully well what we suffered because of a similar communal tilt of Sikh fanatics.I think you need serious introspection instead of finding a defense in voting percentage analysis and reread the verdict to appropriate its true essence which is scripted very carefully and is impregnated with the truly Hindustani spiritual values and what is rejected is Aurangzebi spirit of imposing mono culture.
Thanks for the statistics Chandra. Proffet (Kali) Mahanti, your arguments are based on limited information. A small minority of Christians and Muslims own most of the land in the world. They also exploit the resources of land they do not own. So do they exploit the relatively poor world population! Christianity and Islam are the social tools of exploitation of these small minority groups. Many alien groups had invaded India. What invaders commonly do is take over the resources, and enslave indigenous people. The Brahmins, whom you seem to hate, are relatively poor and own very little real estate. They live a simple life and raise their children with discipline and subservience to God. These qualities help them to excel in education and their work. They would not object to temple entry if every one is vegetarian, a quality one evolves into. The social problems you mentioned are the products of social evolution, for which the Brahmins had limited control.
Chandra SG,if you ask any Hindu from a decent and educated family the you will find that not even 2% of our total population would follow LeT or taliban and communal like sanghparivar. Total 100000 persons all over our country wanted to attend the sanghparivar meeting which did not take place because of heavy rain. Now 100000 persons are like a drop of our Hindu urine in the toilet.If we Hindus altogether piss on one of our neigbours then they will drown.We Hindus were and still are never communal, but it is the taliban like sanghparivar which has been misuseing our Hindu Dharma to gain control of our country by mixing religion and politics lie osama, but we Hindus did not except these rouges. Because we Hindus do not believe in demolishing or burning Mosques and Churches, and we do not even believe in raping and murdering our mother and sisters likes from the Sikh,Muslim, Christian, Dalit or any other race or religion. So shut your gub and do not preach hatred on our Hindu names.
The minority vote consolidation is easier.. by spreading fear and hatred among them against a political class... thereby polarising them... this is what all so called secular parties are doing.. thereby creating rift between people.. on the basis of religion.Miorities with more than 27% population.. for critical factor in deciding.. the fate of any electoral battle.It is fact that... today... COngress is benefitting by spreading venom against its politcal opponent... and exploiting the minorites support.Certain minority groups on other hand are happy enjoing the appeasement attitude of Govt. as it is working in their favour.. although it is against the interest of nation and its people.... whether it is church spreading conversions... or Madrasaas spreading islamic terror...Both of them are ravaging the country for their own.. selfish ends... and the innocent minorities are following them blindly... out of fear pshycosis created by Congress against BJP and RSS.
I think the opnion given by Charan Gill saying that people who took objection to Mr. Williams words... as "poisoned minds" is completely un-called for and un-becoming..!!This shows.. what type of tolerance and sense of unity our friend carries for his fellow countrymen. You cannot neglect the feelings of people and justify it based on electrol victory.Please understand that Indian electrote.. voted at only 55% of total 71 Crores... means only say 39 odd crores... of that.. 28% voted for Congress... means.. around 11 Crores... out of this Congress got more than...4 crores votes from 4 states... AP, TN, WB and Kerala in which BJP is literally non-existent..BJP on other hand got 19% vote.. reflecting...around 8 crores of votes.So cummulatively BJP and COngress are neck to neck.. and in one to one fight BJP had upper hand..It is only because the left and the third front... had failed and offered all their seats... on platter to Congress.. that Congress won..
JN Mahanti, Im a Kali Mahanti myself and a proffesing Christian. What you stated in ur comments is totally baseless. Christianity does not believe in Communism. For 5000 years, Higher castes have looted, and discriminated against the tribals. Their problems and their plight sought solace in the arms of Christ and His servants because Christianity does not preach division as Brahmans and Tribals as you emphasize "tribals" in ur comments. Everyone is created equal and all humans have equal rights on the land, plants and animals to survive. Hinduiam has categorised people and society into 4 groups where you treat them like animals. Peace will only come when you thugs stop politicising common man's issues and get on with ur sorry lives. Where was the Hindutva when Hindu women were offered as Satis. That is demonic. Would you offer ur mother like that and shave her head and ostrasize her from family functions? How would you react when Hindu women according to Hindutva were not allowed to go to schools for education? How about tribals and SC's and Lower castes who were supposedly unclean and that they couldnt even draw water from their own wells in the villages they lived in. How about marriages? Would you give your girls to low caste boys or tribals? How about job occupations? You made them wear brooms behind their backs to clean their footprints as they walked because according to ur Hindutva, it is unholy to ur higher castes. STOP THE BULL CRAP! All this non-sense stopped when Christians came and alleviated their lot. My friend-you write in English and comment here in English. Why would you prefer that instead of your "DEAD" Sanskrit crap?
Klai Mahanti, you need immediate psychiatric treatement my friend........someoene taught few things for their own benefit that has no meaning. You need education, big time.
you only talk about ills in India. WHy do not you go read about the history of your favourite religion? Why were women burnt on the stake? Why were black people treated like slaves until recently? What was the your favourite religion doing during the Holocaust? You cannot cherry pick like this to make your case. First look inwards before blaming others.
Tha major root cause is "Conversion" by Christian Missionaries ( funded by foreign agencies) behind the unrest in Kandhmal. The missionaries are engaging the Converts against the Kandhas and other tribal population, on a "Divide and Rule" policy.Swami Laxamananda started the reconversion campaign to unite both sections for peace and harmony. Consequently, the Missionaries thru Christian Maoists hatched cnospiracy and murdered the Swami and his disciples, in their sleep. And this led to riot and unrest in Kandhmal.Once conversion is banned, the Missionaries ( the outsiders) will be out of job and will be forced to leave the area and there shall be NO threat to lasting peace.So may I urge the Central and State Governments to immediately ban Conversion in Tribal and Backward Districts( every body knows how Conversion is engineered by the Missionaries) of the Country for the sake of PEACE.ADDRESS THE CAUSES TO PREVENT EFFECTS.
So, conversion and re-conversion were amongst the main causes of the Kandhamal conflicts. Had there been no conversion, there would have been no re-conversion. That was exactly the communal Sangh Parivaar had been telling; stop conversions, there will be no re-conversion. This will not solve the problem completely; but, surely it will lessen the intensity of the conflicts. But, look at what our Home Minister had done! He went to Kandhamal and exhorted the people to construct churches wherever they wanted, indirectly advocating conversion. He did not have even a single sympathetic word for the slain Swami and his disciples. So much for Indian secularism. And, it was not because majority Hindus voted for the secular parties, but they did not vote for anybody so that the Congress and other secular parties won on the strength of the minority votes.