Dear Saurabh I hold no brief for either the evangelical brand of rabid Christianity or Hindutva Brand of identity building - both are modern pathologies based on the notion of "other", and both complicit in rise of religious fascism in two most important democracies of the world. I don't belong to any religious organisation/party. By religion I am a Hindu - but I am not a proponent of the political movement called "Hindutva", grounded in fascist ideologies. I am also not found of organised religion in general, and would like to keep "organised religion" away from politics.
It would have been useful for Mr. Sahu to give his full introductions rather than limit it to a rather staid, respectable introduction as retired Police Officer - a sort of BS Raman, providing academic comments on Kandhmal situation. The whole question is that of validity and legitimacy- and the moment his hindutva identity is revealed, everyone would take his comments with a big pinch of salt- don't you think so. Lambodar Kanhar, the Leader of the Kui samaj (the tribal body spearheading the agitation against providing ST status to Panas), himself admitted that Hindutva miscreants have misused the Bandh call given by Kui Samaj against ST status to dalits. Please see below. I would suggest that you differentiate "Hindutva" from "Hinduism" - Hindutva is a political ideology. The conflation of this political ideology with my religion surely insults my sensibilities. Nachiketa *Kui Samaj blames it on VHP * ** Staff Reporter, Hindu *Holds emergency meeting to discuss future course of action * ------------------------------ * Thanks Chief Minister for 'accepting' its demands Accuses VHP of using bandh to pursue its 'agenda' * ------------------------------ BERHAMPUR: *Kui Samaj, the tribal organisation of Kandhamal district, called an emergency meeting at Phulbani on Saturday evening to chalk out plans to thwart alleged attempts of the VHP to fan communal violence in the district. * The meeting also discussed about the future course of action as the State government had already accepted some of their major demands that included resignation of Minister Padmanabh Behera. *Speaking to The Hindu over phone, convener of the samaj Lambodar Kanhar alleged that the VHP misused the 36-hour bandh call given by tribals from December 25 for their "nefarious activities."* *Mr. Kanhar accepted that the Sangh Parivar activists had used some gullible Kui tribals. Tribals of both Hindu and Christian communities were part of the samaj and even some of them were members of the VHP. "We have directed our members from majority as well as minority communities not to get biased and attack each other," Mr. Kanhar said.* Members of the Kui Samaj thanked the Chief Minister for accepting some of their major demands, which included the resignation of Mr. Behera, and the promise that Kui speaking persons of no other community would be allowed to have scheduled tribe certificate. "But these decisions could have been taken by the Chief Minister earlier, which could have saved the district from communal violence," said Mr. Kanhar. The Kui Samaj activists were not satisfied with the statement of Mr. Behera that he resigned on moral grounds. "He should accept and declare the fact that he had to resign due to pressure mounted by the Kui Samaj and the Chief Minister," they said. ____________________________________________________________________ The New Indian Express December 31st BALIGUDA: Normalcy has been restored in most of the areas in Kandhamal district even as curfew is still in force in some places. The administration has started efforts to bring back families who left their homes after the communal tension. Peace committees, comprising local elders, have been formed in several places. However, panic continues to grip several villages in Daringibadi block and uneasy calm prevails in Bramhanigaon. *Meanwhile, the Kui Samaj Coordination Committee has hailed the measures initiated by the State Government to bring the situation to normal. Lambodar Kanhar, secretary of the committee, told newspersons at Phulbani that the State Government has fulfilled their demands by asking Minister Padmanabha Behera to resign and appointing an IAS officer as collector. He said, "We are not against the Scheduled Castes or Christians." He categorically said no one from the Kui community was involved in the communal violence. Kanhar, however, demanded resignation of Behera as MLA. * Justifying his claim he said the present public unrest proved that Behera has been rejected by the public. He also demanded withdrawal of curfew. The VHP has welcomed the judicial inquiry order by the State Government into the communal flare-up. The tension prevailed due to indiscriminate conversion, its leaders maintained. To drive his point home, VHP leader G.P.Ratha said in all the troubled areas Hindus are the minority. He also demanded 'Z' class security for VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and necessary protection for the Hindu community in the district. On Jan 9, 2008 6:18 AM, Saurabh Abhishek <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > @Nachiketa. > > I can call you an agent of Satan ;-) , couldn't I ? > So the point I am making is before calling a person somebody , can you > please post a legitimate link > of some kind to prove what you are asserting is right ? > Moreover if at all he is a member of VHP, so whats the big deal ? Its no > terrorist organization. > Which party organization/party you work for Mr. Nachikata, the one *which > is > directly responsible > for the situation* in Kandhmal (From the Hindu pint of view) ? > > Misinformation .. tut .. tut > > Thanks, > Saurabh. > > On Jan 9, 2008 1:34 PM, Environmental Protection Group Orissa < > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <epgorissa%40gmail.com>> wrote: > > > Interesting that a retired IG tries to deliberately spread > > misinformation. The picture should become more clear if one knows that > > this > > gentlemen is an active member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Orissa and > > is > > directly involved in the situation in Kandhmal. He should say Garv se > kaho > > hum VHP hain - so that everybody on the listserves know that the > gentlemen > > is partisan and not a typical, unbiased, retired bureaucrat. No wonder > he > > is > > so well "informed" about the situation. > > > > Kandhs and Panas (dalits) have been living a symbiotic life > > traditionallyin > > Kandhmals- and the upper caste Hindus who have come from outside have > > effectively played a role of divide and rule between the two communities > > to > > exploit both of them and grab land and other resources. The Sangh > parivar > > including VHP is a key player in this with its attempts to hinduise the > > Kondhs - and its major support base are the selfsame outsiders who have > > come > > down to settle in this predominantly tribal areas. The Sangh parivar has > > added the religious dimension to the emerging schism between the tribals > > and > > the dalits fomented by outsiders, as some of the dalits have converted > to > > Christianity - and this naturally suits the upper caste exploiters. > > Everyone > > in these areas know the role of the VHP and RSS in fomenting trouble and > > targetting the Christians. > > > > The selfsame retired IG thinks that he can pull the wool over people's > > eyes > > by talking about the Maoists. The day Orissa police could arrest "47 > > Maoists" would be written in golden letters in their tattered history- > one > > wishes them best of luck. The incompetence of Orissa Police is legendary > - > > the R Udaygiri Police Station raid and the Koraput armoury raid should > > remind Mr. Sahu of Police department examplary eficiency. I checked with > > local journalists - no such arrests of Maoists have been made. > > > > Just wanted to clarify matter after getting this mail by the VHP IG, and > > then by Ram Madhav. These people are masters of misinformation. Will > post > > more after verifying further details. > > > > Regards > > > > Nachiketa > > > > > > On 1/8/08, Jharkhand Forum <[EMAIL > > PROTECTED]<forum%40jharkhand.org.in><forum%40jharkhand.org.in>> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > Reports of communal vio-lence involving the con-verted Christians led > by > > > the > > > missionaries on one hand and tribals on the other, in Kandhamal > District > > > of > > > Orissa by the media since December 25 are vastly distorted and > motivated > > > which in public interest need be clarified lest the national image is > > > tarnished before the general public and the international community. > > > > > > The whole series of incidents started from unprovoked and preplanned > > > attack > > > on Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati who was visiting his > > > disciples in Darsingbadi village in Kandhmal District on December 24. > > > Swamiji, 82, has been working relentlessly in the district since 1967 > to > > > protect the local population where more than 75 percent are below > > poverty > > > line and are not literate. Swamiji has opened schools and hostels, > > > hospitals > > > and temples to protect mainly the tribals and the down-trodden from > the > > > clutches of missionaries who are operating with massive funds from > > foreign > > > countries pumped into NGOs in disguised operations to convert the > local > > > tribals to Christianity. > > > > > > Chief of such NGOs is 'World Vision' patronized by one Radhakanta > Nayak, > > a > > > local of Darsingbadi village from 'Pana' community who later got > > converted > > > to Christianity. He happens to be an employee of the State Government > > > promoted to the IAS and retired, and now a Member in the Rajya Sabha. > > His > > > henchmen were the assailants who attacked Swamiji on December 24. > > > Meanwhile, > > > Nayak has incited Kui tribals among the Kandhs to agitate for getting > > his > > > 'Pana' community, who are scheduled castes, relisted as scheduled > tribe > > > along with the Kui on the ground that the former also speak the Kui > > > dialect. > > > > > > Various reservation facilities to which scheduled tribes are entitled > > are > > > not available to persons converted to Christianity. On hearing the > > assault > > > news on Swamiji, the already agitated Kui community reacted and > > protested > > > throughout the district against the 'Pana' community converted to > > > Christianity. Interestingly, the Maoist (Naxalites) activists in the > > > district are also mostly from among the recent converts to > Christianity. > > > > > > From the 47 Maoists arrested in connection with recent burning of > > villages > > > inhabited by Hindus (Brahmanigaon, Jhinjiriguda, Katingia, and > Godapur) > > as > > > a > > > counter to attacks by tribals on the churches, 20 guns have been > > recovered > > > by the security forces. It is evident that the Maoists and the Church > > are > > > hands in glove to spread fratricidal killings and clashes among the > > > tribals > > > which is evident also from incidents in Karbi-Anglong and North Cachar > > > Hills > > > districts in Assam. Conversions of poor tribal villagers are being > > > conducted > > > at gun point and by spreading terrorism. > > > > > > While in active government service Radhakanta Nayak and John Nayak IPS > > > (Retd.), both converted Christians, were instruments of the Church to > > > proselytize the poor and illiterate 'Pana' and tribal communities. > Under > > > guise of NGOs thousands of dollars are pumped into the country for > > > conversion of tribals in Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, > Orissa, > > > Andhra Pradesh and the North-East. > > > > > > Taking advantage of the poverty and lack of education, thousands of > > > converted are being trained for separatist movements like NSCN in > > Nagaland > > > and Maoist insurgency in the aforesaid states. This trend is more > > > pronounced > > > since 1970 which is evident from the census reports till 2001. > > > > > > In Kandhamal District alone the Christian population has increased > from > > 6 > > > percent in 1970 to 27 percent in 2001, despite an Act enacted by > Orissa > > > Legislature in 1967 to prevent conversion. Swamiji has been fighting a > > > lone > > > battle by making the tribal district his home for last 40 years, and > he > > is > > > targeted by the Church. Earlier, there were two other lethal attacks > on > > > Swamiji in 1971 and 1995. > > > > > > Since then the government has provided armed protection to Swamiji. In > > > spite > > > of that, he was attacked by armed assailants on December 24 in which > he > > > and > > > his driver and armed security personnel were seriously injured and > > > hospitalized in Cuttack Medical College Hospital. > > > > > > Hence, the recent clashes manifest the various ramifications of the > > > socio-economic, political and cultural tribal issues and the > deep-rooted > > > conspiracy by the Church to destabilize our society and our economy. > Let > > > the > > > Nation awake and protect our tribal brethren and the national media > stop > > > distorting the facts. > > > > > > **Ashok Sahu, IPS (Retd.) Former Inspector General of Police* > > > * > > > -- > > > Jharkhand Forum > > > A Global Network of Jharkhand > > > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > <forum%40jharkhand.org.in><forum%40jharkhand.org.in><forum%40jharkhand.org.in> > > > http://www.jharkhand.org.in/forum > > >
