https://sabrangindia.in/indepth/sangh-silences-songs-christmas The Sangh silences the Songs of Christmas
On Fri, Jan 1, 2016 at 12:11 PM, KP Sasi <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear friends, > Enclosing some information on the disruption by the Sangh Parivar on the > celebration of Christmas by the Adivasi Christians and Dalit Christians in > Kandhamal, recently. Before the main violence in 2008 in Kandhamal, the > Sangh Parivar had unleashed violence in a major way in 2007 on the > Christmas events.. However, perhaps due to the movement of the victims and > survivors of Kandhamal, they have been silent for some time. But this year, > they have started the same action. It is the moral responsibility of all > secular people to condemn such actions and demand proper protection as well > as preservation of the right of the Adivasi Christians and Dalit Christians > to celebrate Christmas, whichever religion we may belong to or no religion > at all. It is time to pressurise the Odisha State Government and the > institutions of the Central Government to provide adequate protection to > Religious Freedom as per the clauses enshrined in the Indian Constitution, > so that no further violence in Kandhamal or elsewhere takes place in the > name of Christmas. Friends, I do hope that you will take this request > seriously and do whatever you can within your reach. > In solidarity, > K.P. Sasi > > > http://mattersindia.com/2015/12/malice-seen-in-kandhamal-strike-on-christmas-day/ > > *http://www.countercurrents.org/singh301215.htm > <http://www.countercurrents.org/singh301215.htm>* > > *Hindutva Forces Disrupt Christmas Celebrations In Kandhamal* > > *By Ajaya Kumar Singh* > > 30 December, 2015 > *Countercurrents.org* > > *W*hen the whole world celebrated Christmas with peace and joy, the > Adivasi/Dalit Christians of Kandhamal district of Odisha state, India had a > night of fear and insecurity. In many parts of this hilly district, > Hindutva fascist forces belonging to RSS/BJP supporters threatened > Christians not to celebrate Christmas. They also blocked the road to their > villages by felling trees and putting huge rocks on the road so that the > police force could not reach the place where they were rampaging. > > The worst affected place was Barkhama village of Balliguda. Barkhama is 13 > kilometres away from Sub-divisional headquarters, Balliguda. The Christians > got panicked with the news of road blockade as well as the gathering of > more than one thousand of BJP/RSS supporters. The terror-stricken Christian > leaders informed the police personnel as well as Special Forces deputed for > Christmas celebration. They cleared the road but did not allow the > Christians to go to Churches to celebrate Christmas. > > Barkhama was not an isolated incident. A Bandh (strike) was called in > several parts in the district on Christmas day to disrupt the celebrations > by the RSS/BJP supporters. Shop keepers downed shutters and buses stayed > off the roads in several towns such as Tikabali, Sankarakhol, Sarangada and > Barkhama. The Christians of far flung areas could not go to Church as the > buses did not ply on the roads. This affected these poor Adivasi/Dalit > Christians as they don’t have private vehicles. > > The Bandh was fronted by an Adivasi outfit called as Kui Samaj Samanwaya > Samity (KSSS), supported fully by Hindutva forces. This was the same outfit > which called for a Bandh during Christmas in 2007 which triggered the > anti-christian violence in the district of August 2008. It is the worst > communal violence against Christian community in India in over 300 years. > After the disruption of Christmas celebration of December 25, 2007, it > erupted into a full fledged pogrom against Christians on August 25, 2008. > Hindutva fascists unleashed massive attack on minority Christians in > Kandhamal on that day. For four days, Hindutva forces went on rampage and > killed over 90 Christians. Dozens of people went missing and never to be > located again. The violence lasted for four months. Over 350 churches and > worship places which belonged to the Adivasi Christians and Dalit > Christians were destroyed, around 6,500 houses were burnt or demolished, > over 40 women were subjected to rape, molestation and humiliation and > several educational, social service and health institutions were destroyed > and looted. More than 56,000 people were displaced. Several cases of forced > conversion to Hinduism by the Hindutva forces took place during the > violence. One nun was gang raped in front of a crowd of over 300 people, > while 8 police men looked on. This nun ran towards the policemen asking for > help but they did nothing and stood there simply watching the spectacle. It > all happened just a stone’s throw away from Nuagaon police station. > > It has been eight years. Now that the same the outfit has called for a > Bandh on Christmas Day has created apprehension and fear among Christian > community in Kandhamal. Earlier, people Kandhamal could get hints that Kui > Samaj Samanwaya Samity is a BJP/RSSS supported organisation, its leaders > used to deny the allegation. Now, its leaders have joined the BJP. > > The Christian community in Kandhamal is in deep distress. Youth leader of > Barkhama village, Kartik Nayak puts it “we could not celebrate Christmas; > in place of happiness and peace, we have to live in fear and insecurity. > This is third major attack on the village that has more than 350 > Christians. On the first attack, we lost our houses and besides some people > were injured; on the second attack on us, we lost two christians and not > even single house was spared, and reduced to ashes. Despite the presence of > Special Force, the RSS attacked us and killed two Christians and women too > were attacked. Now they are again planning to attack. We are not sure what > would happen to us. We are frightened and hence, we ask the state > administration to take necessary measures to protect our life and property”. > > It may be recalled that every attack on Christians since 1987 onwards > followed with felling of trees and blocking the roads so that the police > force could not reach the place of attacks. > > The mainstream newspapers that run the headlines of peaceful Christmas > celebrations in Kandhamal need to report the fear and insecurity as well as > the blockade on people to go to prayer. The Hindu reports that, ‘No > untoward incident or road blocking reported from any part of the district, > says Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Kunwar Vishal Singh. Kunwar Vishal > Singh said till evening no untoward incident or report of road blocking had > come from any part of the district. Around 1,000 State police personnel > were on duty round-the-clock since last 36 hours to maintain law and order. > Apart from these, Special Operation Group (SOG) and Central Reserve Police > Force (CRPF) personnel were involved in combing operations in remote > pockets of the district’. > > Despite the heavy police and special forces presence, if the fanatics > could force the transportation of buses off the roads and shutter the > shops, it only indicates how volatile the situation in Kandhamal still is. > Instead of claiming normalcy, it would be better if the administration took > the perpetrators to task and make BJP not to play its caste and communal > politics. The district administration should take punitive actions so that > Kandhamal violence of 2008 should not be repeated. > > The Christians of Barkhama village have sent a petition to Odisha Chief > Ministter Naveen Pattnaik, to give them protection and ensure peaceful > co-existence. > > *Ajaya Kumar Singh* is a social activist. He can be contacted: > [email protected] > -- Teesta Setalvad 'Nirant', Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, Mumbai - 400 049 http://teestasetalvad.blogspot.com/ www.cjponline.org www.gujarat-riots.com www.sabrang.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
