------------------------------------------------------------------------ * * * * * * * * * ANNUAL GOANETTERS MEET * * * * * * * * * ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goanetters in Goa and visiting meet Jan 6, 2009 at 3.30 pm at Hotel Mandovi (prior to the Goa Sudharop event, which you're also welcome to). Join in for a Dutch dinner -- if we can agree on a venue after the meet. RSVP (confirmations only) 9822122436 or 2409490 or f...@goa-india.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This has reference to the posting of Santosh Helekar under the subject '.....has never been communal' and Dr Barad's doctored report on the same subject under the heading ' Confidential report in the file' Santosh Helekar: "findings of investigations into the recent riots and the killing of the swami which triggered them, e.g. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/net-closes-in-on-cong-mp-for-orissa-swamis-murder/403507/(entitled "Net closes in on Cong MP for Orissa swami's murder")" Response: In order to understand the falsehoods / spin doctoring propagated by the above two gentlemen, one needs to recapitulate the events which took place from August 2008. 1.Initial reports coming out of Orissa attributed to police sources claimed that the Swami was allegedly killed by Maoists. Refer extract: "Orissa continues to be tense following the killings of a prominent Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal district on Saturday. The VHP leader and the other four Hindu leaders were attacked at an Ashram school for girls at Jalespeta under Tumudibandh police station area and police had initially suspected the hand of Maoists behind this attack. "Considering the nature of the attack and the kind of weapons used in the attack we apprehend that some extremists who are active in the state are involved in the crime," Orissa Home Secretary Tarun K Mishra said. The government that has ordered a judicial probe suspects the hand of Maoists." http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080062805 2. The VHP / BD however do not accept the view of the Government (a BJP/BJD coalition) and police and believe it is the work of christians with whom they have been having a long standing dispute and go on a rampage killing christians and destroying their property. "It's got nothing to do with Maoism. It's been done by the church which has failed to baptise the people because of Swamiji's presence in the district in the last 42 years," Ashok K Sahu, president, Orissa Hindu Jagaran Sammukhya said. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080062805 3. The Church condemns the killing and calls for a CBI inquiry. "The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) and the Church leaders in Orissa and other parts of the country have condemned the killing of Swami Lakshmananda Sarswati and his associates in the Ashram. *In view of the facts stated above we demand the following:* 1. That a CBI enquiry be ordered for proper and impartial investigation for justice." http://orissaburning.blogspot.com/2008/08/cbci-submits-memorandum-to-prime.html 4.The maoists go on TV and take responsibility for the killings of the Swami. "Sabyasachi Panda, a top leader of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), in an interview to a group of journalists (including this correspondent), claimed that his outfit had killed the swami "because he was forcibly converting both tribals and Christians into Hinduism". Panda, who blamed the VHP and its allies for fanning communalism by spreading misinformation that militant Christians had killed the Swami, also accused Chief Minister Patnaik of allowing riots to spread in the district. "Communal violence spread to most areas of Kandhamal only because the State government allowed the VHP to take the body of the swami in a procession covering many areas in the district," Panda said. Meanwhile, the Crime Branch of the State police has arrested three Maoists for alleged involvement in the killing of the swami. However, the Sangh Parivar is not in a mood to accept the fact that the swami was killed by Maoists. http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2522/stories/20081107252202500.htm 5. However the VHP / BD without waiting for a proper investigation which could determine the actual culprits do not accept the Maoists claims and insist that the christians were behind the killings and try to pressurise the police into arresting christians and pinning the blame on them. "However, the Sangh Parivar is not in a mood to accept the fact that the swami was killed by Maoists. " http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2522/stories/20081107252202500.htm "The Crime Branch of the Orissa police on Sunday arrested four persons in connection with the murder of Viswha Hindu Parishad leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati. The four, arrested from the Kotgarh area of Kandhamal district, include a hardcore Maoist. The three others were Maoist sympathisers, State Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj told" http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/15/stories/2008121559121500.htm*The*<http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/15/stories/2008121559121500.htmThe>Hindu. *"Who killed Swami Laxmananda Saraswati?* While the Maoists have claimed that they did so, the VHP insists on blaming the Christians and exacting their 'revenge'. http://focusweb.org/india/index.php?Itemid=2&id=1074&option=com_content&task=view 6. The VHP / BD has been targetting Mr Radhakanta Nayak who is an influential christian leader in the area for obvious reasons. All sorts of conspiracy theories are floated in order to implicate him. At one point of time, they also tried to draw Archbishop Concessao of Delhi and Archbishop Cheenath of Bhubaneshwar into their conspiracy theories. 7. The VHP/ BD has been blackmailing and armtwisting the government into arresting and implicating Mr Nayak by threatening agitations and bandhs. "They held Congress Rajya Sabha member Radhakant Nayak as key conspirator behind the murder. Referring to allegations that Christmas last year was dampened by violence by saffron outfits, they said, "Let there be a state-wide bandh this time on December 25 to ensure a completely peaceful Christmas,"s "We will be forced to observe Orissa Bandh on December 25, if the government failed to arrest the killers and conspirators", said Swami Laxamananda Saraswati Sradhanjali Samiti president ratnakar Cahinee/ Suspecting killing of Swamiji as part of an international conspiracy, the leaders wanted narco-test of Sonia Gandhi, archbishop Rapheal Cheenath and Rajya Sabha MP Nayak. http://visakeo.blogspot.com/2008/11/samiti-warns-orissa-bandh-on-december_16.html 8. The IE report referred to by Santosh and Barad is a consequence of these developments. What they have omitted to post deliberately or otherwise is a refutal of the report. "REACTING to a report in The Indian Express on Saturday ('Net closes in on Cong MP for Orissa swami's murder') that the BJD-BJP Government in Orissa was closing in on Congress<http://www.indianexpress.com/special/congress,%20politics/>MP Radhakant Nayak for his "alleged role in the conspiracy to kill VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati," the Congress Saturday strongly defended the MP and called the allegations "politically motivated" and "malicious". All India <http://www.indianexpress.com/section/India/721/> Congress Committee in-charge of Orissa Ajay Maken said, in a press release, that the allegations were "nothing but malicious conjectures with no element of reasoned evidence in its support". The attempt was to divert attention from the "miserable performance" of the state police, perhaps under directions from its political masters, he said. "From Christian missionaries to Naxals to R K Nayak and the Congress, the Government through its anonymous 'sources' was pointing desperate fingers towards all but the real perpetrators of the murder, who are still at large and the threat of violence still hangs in the air," said Maken. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cong-slams-orissa-for-dragging-in-nayak.../403752/ 9. It is interesting that despite Mr Panda of the Maoists taking responsibility for the killings in front of the camera, why no attempt has been made to apprehend him. It is also interesting that despite calls for a CBI inquiry, the matter is still being handled by the state police whose role in the carnage is too well known. All in all, unless there is a fair inquiry and investigation which will nail down the real culprits, it would be presumptous to draw conclusions one way or the other. Regards, Marshall