I join in this appeal Walter Fernandes
Dr Walter Fernandes Director, North Eastern Social Research Centre 110 Kharghuli Road (1st floor) Guwahati 781004 Assam, India Tel (91-361) 2602819 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/NESRC ----- Original Message ----- From: WILLIAM KISKU To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 4:20 PM Subject: Re: [ =>> Jharkhand <<= ] STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE KILLINGS AND VIOLENCE IN ORISSA Very Commendable Father Cedric. I hope we Indians learn to respect each other and learn to live in harmony irrespective of our relgious conviction and beliefs. May God bless you and the relatives of the victims of this dastardly act and hope that justice is meted. William Kisku --- "Fr. Cedric Prakash" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Prashant . A Centre for > Human Rights, Justice and Peace > > > Post Box No. 4050, > Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380 009, Gujarat, > India > > > Tel. : +91 (079) 66522333, 2745 > 5913 . Fax : +91 (079) 2748 9018 > > > Mobile : 9824034536 . e-mail : > [EMAIL PROTECTED] . www.humanrightsindia.in > > > > > > STATEMENT CONDEMNING > > THE > > KILLINGS AND VIOLENCE IN ORISSA > > > > > > We condemn the killing of Swami Saraswati and four > of his associates during the attack on the VHP > Ashram in the Kandhamal District of Orissa on > Saturday 23rd August 2008. > > > We sympathize with the bereaved members of the > families who have lost their loved ones. > > > > We call upon the Orissa and the Central Governments > to do all in their power to bring to book > immediately, those responsible for this dastardly > act; that anti-social elements do not take law and > order into their own hands and above all, to ensure > that peace and calm prevail in the area, and in > other parts of Orissa. > > > > Violence, for whatever the provocation, is > non-acceptable, and will definitely not help achieve > the goals for which these acts are committed. We > therefore call upon all those responsible for these > acts and to eschew violence immediately. > > > > No violence can be justified, for whatever the > reason. However, for the last several months, the > Government of Orissa has allowed some fascist and > fundamentalist forces to terrorize the poor, the > marginalized and the minorities of the State. These > forces have carried on their virulent propaganda and > their violent acts with apparent immunity. > > > > There has been a total abdication of responsibility > by the Government of Orissa and the concerned > authorities, like the police. They should now also > be held totally responsible for these deaths and for > allowing the situation to go out of control. > > > > Sufficient warning has been given to the Orissa > Government, of the deteriorating situation, as > early as in September 2006, with the publication of > "Communalism in Orissa" - the Report of the Indian > People's Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights - > headed by Justice K. K. Usha (Retd.) former Chief > Justice of the Kerala High Court. > > > > It may still not be too late to ensure that the > Constitutional Rights and Freedoms of the people of > Orissa are not merely guaranteed by also protected > by the State. > > > > > > Fr. Cedric Prakash sj > > Director > > > > > > 25th August 2008 > > > > > > > > > > > > William Kisku
