The Christianity as a faith is essentially based on the Love, Peace and the Truth as its basic tenets and central theme. But in the name of protecting Christianity, history of the world is colored many a times with human blood. During, before and after the Crusades, series of wars have been fought for peace, and extreme brutality has been perpetrated in the name of God. In India the conversion of Hindus was resorted to by the missionaries with direct patronage from the alien rulers with intent to bring about a permanent change in the mind set of Indians so that the Union Jack could fly permanently over Indian soil. But it was not that easy to change the Hindu mindset which is the product of centuries old practiced way of living. Though, the missionaries realised that for Hindus living was more important than believing, still they pursued their efforts to convert them to Christianity by dividing their society into 'depressed class' and 'high-caste Hindus and Aryans' having come from out-side and the Dravids and the aborigines as 'animists' . They set up schools to condition the young minds with distorted history. Still, they failed. Then they started having boarding schools and picked up children directly from poor and illiterate families particularly the so called 'depressed classes' and the tribal people whom they termed as aborigines. Later, the missionary boarding schools manufactured clerics for furthering the missionary conversion among the down trodden.
The Portuguese missionaries were notorious for adopting duress and violence to proselytize the natives in Goa, Daman and Due. In the tribal districts of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal it was more by taking advantage of their abject poverty and illiteracy. In the North-East the hill tribes were again treated as 'animists' like the African tribes and got converted 'en masse' in the 1940s due to their basic ignorance. Between 1941 and 1947, 90% of the tribal population in the districts of Naga hills, Mizo Hills, Khasi Hills and the Garo Hills were converted to Christianity and were tutored to secede from independent India by claiming that they never had any historical link with rest of India. Along with Christianity gun culture was also taught and Phizo from Naga Hills and Laldenga from Mizo Hills were given political asylum in the UK. The MNF and the NSCN had bloody fights with armed forces for decades. And, at last, the indigenous people realised that it was a Christian conspiracy to weaken India whose independence was to detriment the colonial interests of the UK.
The NSCN is notorious for running armed training camps along the Indo-Burmese border for all the armed secessionist outfits and also indulge in regular illegal Arms trafficking and Narcotic trade. The separatist groups in Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura were all trained by the NSCN factions operating from the Kachin border in Burma. The NSCN's demand for " 'Nagalim' (Greater Nagaland) for Christ" is well known. Now they are trying to convert the Karbi and the Dimasha tribes in Assam on gun point. Because they have realised that unless the 34 major tribes are converted to Christianity they won't accept common leadership of Nagas. There is regular bloody war in the name of Christ in the Assam, Nagaland and Manipur areas in the North-East.
In Orissa, the Christian churches in the districts of Deogarh, Bargarh, Angul, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Gajapati have come into recent record for harbouring the armed Maoists and using them for conversion of poor villagers. It is evident during December riots in Kandhamal district when Bamunigaon police station was attacked by armed Christians and subsequent raid in Sikarama village helped in seizure of twenty guns with ammunitions. Particularly, the Pastors/clerics from Karalla, Tamilnadu and Goa operating in Orissa are using the Maoist activists who serve as a shield against reaction to forced conversion in the area. As a result, the number of crypto-Christians is more than those who are enumerated Christians in the demography figures of 2001. Some of the killers of Swamiji on the 23rd August 2008 incident are reportedly hiding in certain Churches under protection by the armed police from the State in Kalahandi district bordering Kandhamal. It is doubtful, whether the state police would be able to conduct a raid in to the precincts of the Church for the proclaimed 'secular credentials' as stated by the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Against the known nexus between the Maoists and the Church, the reported involvement of one 'Azad' from PLGA, the guerilla outfit of the terrorist group has come to surface after one week of the gruesome murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, Sadhvi Bhaktimta and two others on 23rd August 2008. The interview to a local newspaper by 'Azad' further strengthens the theory of close nexus between the Church and the terrorist out-fit in Orissa. But the fact remains that the way the attack on the Swamiji and the Ashram was conducted and the way the assailants retreated from the spot is the handy work of local Christian youth with borrowed weapons from the Maoist armory.
On 08/7/2008 there was attack on followers of Swamiji at Tumidibandh by an organized armed group when Madhubaba protested against cow-slaughter. Swamiji had decided to sit on fast-unto death from 22/7/2008 to mobilize public opinion through out the state in protest of government apathy in ensuring security against Christian zealots in the area. Recently, one front organization of the CPI (Maoist) called Loka Sangram Dalit Manch is busy in recruiting suitable tribal youth in the area for their guerilla outfit. Krishna Paraseth, Nakul Nayak, Hemant Nayak and Gajapati Mandal are some of the leading members of the new outfit. In this regard, the failure of the local police is directly proportionate to the future success of the out-fit in the area. The recent developments are only indications for the shape of things to emerge, and a signal to the governments at the Center and the State to prepare the future agenda, as how to deal with the role of Church and the spread of Maoist extremism in the state of Odisha.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Militancy and Christianity in Odisha
[By Ashok Sahu, IPS (Retd.)]
Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati
Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati (84) is known as the second incarnation of Lord Parsuram. He took the vow to develop the downtrodden class of the society and made Chakapada his centre of activities in tribal dominated Orissa's Kandhmal district.
Besides social and religious development of the tribal people, he tried for all most four decades to empower them economically and academically. He established a Gurukul pattern of school and a college to teach Sanskrit in Chakapada, a remote place of Kandhamal.
Sankaracharya Kanyashram, a residential school at Jalespatta is another ashram of Swamiji in the district, where education is being imparted to women population with an intention to build their character and bring cultural nationalism among them. While there was a move to ban cow slaughter in India, Swamiji came from Himalaya to Orissa. After the movement of cow protection was over, Swamiji decided to return back to his Tapashya, when the then chief of RSS of Orissa Sri Bhupendra Kumar Basu narrated the sad stories of the tribal population of the State and requested him to help the suffering population. Swamiji went to Phulbani (Kandhmal) with Sri Basu, saw the life of people there and decided to serve the backward people mostly tribals and harijans there and focus to join them into the main stream of the society.
In 1969 he started his first ashram at Chakapada and the ashram became a centre for brisk activities. He renovated the temples: Birupakshya, Kumareswar and Jogeswar and established a Sanskrit school and a college. Swamijee invested his full energy to teach the youth of schedule caste and schedule tribe in Sanskrit and built the youths as disciplined citizen, well civilized, well cultured, well educated, spiritual and protector of the society. Swamiji was well versed in Vedanta philosophy, Sanskrit grammar and was awarded with the honour as "Vedanta Keshari". He not only gave philosophical thoughts to the people but guided them in good cultivation, animal care, and horticulture and so on. The students coming out from the Kalyan Ashram Gurukula are taking leadership of the society in economic, social and cultural fields. Due to his selfless service to humanity he was warded with 'Vivekananda Seva Puraskar' from Kolkata.
He stood firm in Phulbani district for a long time and struggled hard to preserve and protect the tribal culture and dharma. The Sankaracharya of Govardhan Pitha, Puri awarded him with the Upadhi as "Bidharmi Kuchakra Vidarana Maharathi".
While he started his work in Kandhamal, a devoted RSS Pracharak, Sri Raghunath Sethi was associated with him for a long period. He initially selected his place of activities at Chakapada because there is Birupakhya temple. Subsequently he established Kanyashram at Jalespatta, a Seva school at Tulasipur, Banki in Cuttack district and an Ashram at Panigola in Angul district.
The Birupakshya temple at Chakapada is situated in the district of Kandhamal (Phulbani). It stands on an elevation of about 800ft. from sea level. River Burutanga is flowing near the temple. The place is surrounded by beautiful natural sceneries. Chakapada has also been mentioned in the Ramayana. The old age name of Chakapada is Ekachakranagari. Here exists a Shiva temple where Linga is bent to south and all the trees of the place are also bent to south. Through his efforts this place has been declared a tourist place by the govt.
Swamiji was a visionary. It has been clearly established by his activities. Step by step he has transformed the total life style of people of Kandhamal. Satsangh was his unique discovery to eradicate all evils of the society making them prosperous. He thereafter started Satsang at all villages of the district.
He has started night school for adult education. Insisting them to send their children to the school by which the literacy rate amongst tribal and Harijans of that area has increased. He stared a Sanskrit School named Kalyan Ashram, Sanskrit vidyalaya at Chakapada in the year 1969 which is now promoted to a Sanskrit college. For the education of the girls, he established 'Sankaracharya Kanyashram' a wholly residential school at Jalespata in Kandhamal, in the year 1988 where 250 girl students are studying. He also established a school at Banki and ashram at panigola in Angul district. The student of Chakapada and Jalespata taking leadership in all spheres of life and most of them are established in the government service.
The local Harijan and tribal people of Kandhamal became more health conscious after coming to the satsangh. They kept their houses clean, took bath every day, took safe drinking water. Thousands of families of the scheduled caste community gave off taking beef which made them healthy and disease-free. Swamiji taught them not to take liquor or any other alcoholic drinks during Satsang. Then gradually they left the habit of taking such drinks. When they were free form alcohol they got ample time to do some work which they utilize in their field and other activities for their development. More than 500 villages in the district benefited out of Swamiji's noble way to control liquor business as well as people on their own boycotted all intoxicants materials.
Swamiji taught grammar to the students in the class and technique of good cultivation to the villagers in the field. He taught the villagers when and how to cultivate paddy, vegetables etc. By which people of G.Udaygira and Raikia block area produce the best quality and highest quantity of beans in orissa. There also formed a vegetable cooperative society at Katingia by agricultural development the economic conditioned improved a lot. Swamiji always insisted the tribal not to be afraid of any body. He accompanies them to the govt. officials and police stations and made them fearless. They got the courage to face to the collector or SP directly.
Now we can see greenery everywhere in the Kandhmal because it has more forest cover than any other district. It is all due to Swamiji's efforts to insist them to take wood when required. He also established "Maths on the hill tops in several parts of the district and told the villagers that the trees in the hill belong to math and the village community. If emergency arises one can cut a tree and take wood only after the permission of the village committee. That worked tremendously. The joint forest management system which govt. started now has been started by Swamiji from 1970.
After all Swamiji was very much serious for preservation and protection of tribal culture and tradition . He has established and renovated the tribal deity place (Dharanipenu) in several places. Similarly he has started a Rathyatra through out the Gajapati and Kandhamal district during which thousand of tribal are attracted to their own belief.
He often says that the area will not prosper where tear or blood falls. He was against the indiscriminate cow slaughter. He taught the people to protect cattle from slaughtering and forbade them to take beef. In several occasion he staged demonstration, dharanas and participated in the hunger strike in several parts of the state. He toured through out the state for this cause.
He was associated with several socio-cultural and religious organizations. He has established and renovated several temples in different parts of the state. He was a founder member and inspiration of VHP and Kalyana Ashram of Odisha.
His main work in Kandhamal was protecting the tribals from Christian conversion. He tried his level best to reconvert the tribals to their original faith. Inspired by his personality thousands of people in different parts of the states become his disciple.
His main missions are:
1. Making the tribal youth strong, fearless, educated and financially sound.
2. Tribal should be strong in their belief and check conversion of their brethrens and reconvert those who have gone out.
3. Protection of cows
These made him popular through out the states. During two big functions at Chakapada in 1986 and 2007 lakhs of people gathered in that remote place.
As the reconversion gets momentum Christians feared of loosing their ground. So they attacked Swamiji several times(9 times). The ninth attack on him was on 24th December 2007, where he narrowly escaped from being murdered by heavily armed group of 200 people, at Darsingbadi of Kandhamal.
No efforts have been made by the government or administration to arrest the culprits (The Christian militants) and siege the illegal weapons kept by them. The roles of Christian NGO's were not investigated. The attitude of the government was to protect Christians and harass Hindus. Hundreds of Hindus were arrested but a few Christians. Lakhs of rupees were provided to the churches and other Christian organizations as relief, which were not damaged during that period. These things encouraged the Christian militants and they brutally killed Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, Bhakti Mata. Amrutananda Baba, Kishore baba and Purub Ganthi a guardian of a Kanyashram girl on the Janmastami night on 23rd August 2008 at 8 pm.
The brutal killing of Swamiji, has sent a shock wave in the country. People of Orissa are still not in a position to accept Swamiji's killing. In a spontaneous response, people of Orissa observed bandh in each and every corner of the State on August 25. People of Kandhamal have still not recovered from the shocking demise of Swamiji.
Besides social and religious development of the tribal people, he tried for all most four decades to empower them economically and academically. He established a Gurukul pattern of school and a college to teach Sanskrit in Chakapada, a remote place of Kandhamal.
Sankaracharya Kanyashram, a residential school at Jalespatta is another ashram of Swamiji in the district, where education is being imparted to women population with an intention to build their character and bring cultural nationalism among them. While there was a move to ban cow slaughter in India, Swamiji came from Himalaya to Orissa. After the movement of cow protection was over, Swamiji decided to return back to his Tapashya, when the then chief of RSS of Orissa Sri Bhupendra Kumar Basu narrated the sad stories of the tribal population of the State and requested him to help the suffering population. Swamiji went to Phulbani (Kandhmal) with Sri Basu, saw the life of people there and decided to serve the backward people mostly tribals and harijans there and focus to join them into the main stream of the society.
In 1969 he started his first ashram at Chakapada and the ashram became a centre for brisk activities. He renovated the temples: Birupakshya, Kumareswar and Jogeswar and established a Sanskrit school and a college. Swamijee invested his full energy to teach the youth of schedule caste and schedule tribe in Sanskrit and built the youths as disciplined citizen, well civilized, well cultured, well educated, spiritual and protector of the society. Swamiji was well versed in Vedanta philosophy, Sanskrit grammar and was awarded with the honour as "Vedanta Keshari". He not only gave philosophical thoughts to the people but guided them in good cultivation, animal care, and horticulture and so on. The students coming out from the Kalyan Ashram Gurukula are taking leadership of the society in economic, social and cultural fields. Due to his selfless service to humanity he was warded with 'Vivekananda Seva Puraskar' from Kolkata.
He stood firm in Phulbani district for a long time and struggled hard to preserve and protect the tribal culture and dharma. The Sankaracharya of Govardhan Pitha, Puri awarded him with the Upadhi as "Bidharmi Kuchakra Vidarana Maharathi".
While he started his work in Kandhamal, a devoted RSS Pracharak, Sri Raghunath Sethi was associated with him for a long period. He initially selected his place of activities at Chakapada because there is Birupakhya temple. Subsequently he established Kanyashram at Jalespatta, a Seva school at Tulasipur, Banki in Cuttack district and an Ashram at Panigola in Angul district.
The Birupakshya temple at Chakapada is situated in the district of Kandhamal (Phulbani). It stands on an elevation of about 800ft. from sea level. River Burutanga is flowing near the temple. The place is surrounded by beautiful natural sceneries. Chakapada has also been mentioned in the Ramayana. The old age name of Chakapada is Ekachakranagari. Here exists a Shiva temple where Linga is bent to south and all the trees of the place are also bent to south. Through his efforts this place has been declared a tourist place by the govt.
Swamiji was a visionary. It has been clearly established by his activities. Step by step he has transformed the total life style of people of Kandhamal. Satsangh was his unique discovery to eradicate all evils of the society making them prosperous. He thereafter started Satsang at all villages of the district.
He has started night school for adult education. Insisting them to send their children to the school by which the literacy rate amongst tribal and Harijans of that area has increased. He stared a Sanskrit School named Kalyan Ashram, Sanskrit vidyalaya at Chakapada in the year 1969 which is now promoted to a Sanskrit college. For the education of the girls, he established 'Sankaracharya Kanyashram' a wholly residential school at Jalespata in Kandhamal, in the year 1988 where 250 girl students are studying. He also established a school at Banki and ashram at panigola in Angul district. The student of Chakapada and Jalespata taking leadership in all spheres of life and most of them are established in the government service.
The local Harijan and tribal people of Kandhamal became more health conscious after coming to the satsangh. They kept their houses clean, took bath every day, took safe drinking water. Thousands of families of the scheduled caste community gave off taking beef which made them healthy and disease-free. Swamiji taught them not to take liquor or any other alcoholic drinks during Satsang. Then gradually they left the habit of taking such drinks. When they were free form alcohol they got ample time to do some work which they utilize in their field and other activities for their development. More than 500 villages in the district benefited out of Swamiji's noble way to control liquor business as well as people on their own boycotted all intoxicants materials.
Swamiji taught grammar to the students in the class and technique of good cultivation to the villagers in the field. He taught the villagers when and how to cultivate paddy, vegetables etc. By which people of G.Udaygira and Raikia block area produce the best quality and highest quantity of beans in orissa. There also formed a vegetable cooperative society at Katingia by agricultural development the economic conditioned improved a lot. Swamiji always insisted the tribal not to be afraid of any body. He accompanies them to the govt. officials and police stations and made them fearless. They got the courage to face to the collector or SP directly.
Now we can see greenery everywhere in the Kandhmal because it has more forest cover than any other district. It is all due to Swamiji's efforts to insist them to take wood when required. He also established "Maths on the hill tops in several parts of the district and told the villagers that the trees in the hill belong to math and the village community. If emergency arises one can cut a tree and take wood only after the permission of the village committee. That worked tremendously. The joint forest management system which govt. started now has been started by Swamiji from 1970.
After all Swamiji was very much serious for preservation and protection of tribal culture and tradition . He has established and renovated the tribal deity place (Dharanipenu) in several places. Similarly he has started a Rathyatra through out the Gajapati and Kandhamal district during which thousand of tribal are attracted to their own belief.
He often says that the area will not prosper where tear or blood falls. He was against the indiscriminate cow slaughter. He taught the people to protect cattle from slaughtering and forbade them to take beef. In several occasion he staged demonstration, dharanas and participated in the hunger strike in several parts of the state. He toured through out the state for this cause.
He was associated with several socio-cultural and religious organizations. He has established and renovated several temples in different parts of the state. He was a founder member and inspiration of VHP and Kalyana Ashram of Odisha.
His main work in Kandhamal was protecting the tribals from Christian conversion. He tried his level best to reconvert the tribals to their original faith. Inspired by his personality thousands of people in different parts of the states become his disciple.
His main missions are:
1. Making the tribal youth strong, fearless, educated and financially sound.
2. Tribal should be strong in their belief and check conversion of their brethrens and reconvert those who have gone out.
3. Protection of cows
These made him popular through out the states. During two big functions at Chakapada in 1986 and 2007 lakhs of people gathered in that remote place.
As the reconversion gets momentum Christians feared of loosing their ground. So they attacked Swamiji several times(9 times). The ninth attack on him was on 24th December 2007, where he narrowly escaped from being murdered by heavily armed group of 200 people, at Darsingbadi of Kandhamal.
No efforts have been made by the government or administration to arrest the culprits (The Christian militants) and siege the illegal weapons kept by them. The roles of Christian NGO's were not investigated. The attitude of the government was to protect Christians and harass Hindus. Hundreds of Hindus were arrested but a few Christians. Lakhs of rupees were provided to the churches and other Christian organizations as relief, which were not damaged during that period. These things encouraged the Christian militants and they brutally killed Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, Bhakti Mata. Amrutananda Baba, Kishore baba and Purub Ganthi a guardian of a Kanyashram girl on the Janmastami night on 23rd August 2008 at 8 pm.
The brutal killing of Swamiji, has sent a shock wave in the country. People of Orissa are still not in a position to accept Swamiji's killing. In a spontaneous response, people of Orissa observed bandh in each and every corner of the State on August 25. People of Kandhamal have still not recovered from the shocking demise of Swamiji.
Murder of Mahatma by the Church
[By Ashok Sahu, IPS (Retd.), Former Addl. Director General of Police.]
On the 23rd August, while doing pooja on Janmasthami, the most sacred day for Hindus, militant Christians entered into the Ashram premises at about 8.00 p.m. and pumped bullets from an AK-47 assault rifle on the frail body of an 84 years old Swamijee (Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati) at Jalespata Vanavasi Kanyashram in Kandhamal District of Orissa. After killing him brutally the Christian assailants have cut various parts of Swamiji's body by chisel and axe, it appears. Along with him others who while trying to rescue Swamiji got killed are Sadhwi Bhakti Mata who was in over all charge of the Kalyan Ashram, Kishore Baba, Amritanand Baba and a visitor guardian of an inmate of the school. The dead body of Mataji was also defiled by cut injuries which were most brutish and nasty.
Swamiji had received a threatening letter which he could read only the previous evening on his return from routine tour for religious preaching. He had sought security from the local police against imminent danger to his life by a written prayer to the authorities including the District Magistrate on 23rd August. The media had broadcast on apprehensions to his life during morning news bulletins on the very fateful 23rd August. Hardly one month back, at Tumudibandh, two kilometers from his Jalespata Ashram, there was armed attack by a group of Christians when he was protesting against Cow-slaughter in the area. In the violence one of
his disciples Madhu Baba had sustained fatal cut injuries. Following the incident the State Government had deployed one platoon of armed CRPF personnel to guard his Ashram round the clock. Swamiji, in addition to these arrangements, had an armed security person to protect him during his tours who was mysteriously absent at the time of attack. It may be mentioned that the personal security man Bhubaneswar Jani who was replaced by an emaciated, cowardice constable by the local S.P. only five days prior to the attack, was serving Swamijee for more than 10 months most sincerely jeopardizing his own life. During armed attack by militant Christians on the 24th December 2007 at Daringbadi for which he was hospitalized along with Swamiji with fatal injuries.
In that connection, though the Police has registered a case vide 83/07 u/s 147/148/353/323/324/307/426/149 IPC the culprits are still at large with impunity.
Prior to this there were nine more attacks on Swamiji's life and consistently the assailants were all recently converted Christians in the area. It is evident that the Catholic Church and the Baptist Church by conversion was gradually criminalizing the local youth. Few of them were also encouraged to join the Maoist group of terrorists which was proved by the way Bamunigaon Police Station was attacked and the subsequent raids in non-descript Sikarama village during December violence there, that led to recovery of more than 20 guns in a single tiny village.
What is surprising is that similar raids were not conducted in other villages where there is pillage of fire-arms. More suspicious is the withdrawal of the CRPF from the Ashram and replacing the PSO to the Swamijee only five days prior to the murderous attack on 23rd August. Danger to the life of Swamijee was mounting every day since the abortive attempt on his life in last December. According to reliable sources, there was a secret meeting on 9th August 2008 in the Community Centre at Raikia attended by activists representing Church based NGOs like the World Vision, Jana Kalyan Samiti, NISWAS, ASHA, Sahara, Palli Shree, Jana Vikash etc. who regularly receive huge funds from abroad. It was also attended by Nakul Nayak, former M.P. from the ruling BJD, Krushna Para Seth the former Block Chairman from Tumidibandh, Alfansoe Baliyar Singh a notorious militant Christian from Raikia, advocate Manas Singh who was to bring activists from Bamunigaon and Daringbadi in a vehicle specifically provided by Archbishop C.Raphel. It was resolved in the meeting to eliminate Swamijee who was 'an insurmountable obstacle against conversion and cow-slaughter in the area'. Simultaneously, they felt that by philanthropic activities among the Kondh tribes in the District he was dissuading the vulnerable poor and illiterate tribe and Panas in the area from falling prey to the allurements and fraud by the Church authorities. Sources reveal that on the 13th August a letter purportedly written by 'Pahadia' group of people was circulated addressed to the Swamiji that his life would not be spared, that too, within a week. Copies were supposed to be sent to the State Chief Minister, DGP, District Magistrate, District S.P. etc. besides the Swamijee and some other targets. A similar closed door meeting was reportedly held on 20th August in the Jana Kalyan Samiti at Jatani (Khurda) attended among others by Father Bijoy Nayak from Baliguda Church and Ajay Singh of Khurda, where it was decided to eliminate Swamijee, come what may. On the 23rd August night they succeeded in killing him as per their planned conspiracy.
The government had clear knowledge and the authorities had detailed information, but instead of reinforcing the security arrangements, it appears that they colluded with the killers. What has failed to convince is the glaring gap in alacrity with which the Orissa Police had rounded up 63 suspects in Graham Staines murder case within 24 hours of the alleged murder and their utter failure to arrest even a single culprit even after four days of the murder of Swamijee. People of Orissa expressed their ire against the government during the dawn to dusk bandh in the most unprecedented manner for the government attributed this murder to the Naxal Maoists within minutes of the incidents. They were reminded of the callousness of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who had made a similar statement accusing the Maoists when DIG Jasvir Singh was killed but later it was revealed by subsequent investigation that the DIG was killed by his own PSO from Orissa Police. When there was prior information on danger to life of Swamijee, so much so that, the local TV channels trumpeted the whole day urging the government to save the Swamijee from imminent attack, the government apparently colluded with the killers and in order to prove his self-claimed 'secular credentials' the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is over active to safeguard the Christian minorities from the onslaught by the enraged Hindus whole over the State. Now the question is, why should the government first create a situation by a series of 'omissions and commissions' later in order to prove his 'secular credentials' try to protect the endangered minorities. There can not be a greater embarrassment for the ruling alliance BJP who can not escape the moral responsibility of being a party to these omissions and commissions on the part of the coalition government.
It is a ghastly incident and a challenge to the advocates of pseudo-secularism that the majorities are discriminated against, to keep the minorities appeased. The pseudo secularists have proved more Christian than Pope in upholding Christianity in India. The
unprecedented response to the bandh called by Hindu organizations in Orissa indicated the shape of things to come. No government how powerful it may be can function with out the co-operation from the people. Peoples elected representatives in Orissa have legislated for the first time in independent India, the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 to prevent conversion by fraud, allurements, cheating, bribery and misrepresentation. It was challenged by all the Churches in the country in the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Bench of the apex court upheld its validity and said that right to propagate does not include right to convert. Swamijee was only insisting that the Act should be strictly followed in the State. He came to Kandhamal District because there was utter poverty and illiteracy in the district with more than 70% of its population as tribals who are below the poverty line. He came there in 1967 and continued till his murder by Christians on 23rd in August 2008. Similarly, Orissa was the first to enact against cow-slaughter in 1964 as per Directive Principles in the Part-IV of the Constitution. Swamijee had made the motto of his life mission to make Orissa free of conversion as well as cow-slaughter. These two Acts legislated by Orissa Assembly reflect
the sentiments of Orissa people for implementation by subsequent governments. So long as these Acts are in the statute book, it is the constitutional responsibility of the government of the day to execute strictly. But the government has miserably failed. The government did not co-operate, rather criminally neglected in saving the life one man who preferred to lay down his life for the common cause.
The Church supposed to preach The Gospels, ironically criminalizes the youth and with foreign funding indulges in conversion by-passing the law. Hindus in Orissa are not against any particular community or religion. They do not want any other religion to disturb their faith and social harmony by taking advantage of poverty and illiteracy in their society. Irate Hindus when, as a last resort react, at times, with violence; the advocates of 'secularism' cry for protection. Is it not time enough to stop conversion and cow-slaughter as a respect for the majority leaving in the country as a lasting measure to ensure peace and harmony in the society? As this brutal murder is directly linked with the series of incidents right from December 2007, until and unless the State Police detects the right culprits and bring them to book with out further loss of time, peoples already shaken trust on the government can not be restored and peace in the civil society can not come back. Should the government at the centre and the state want a permanent solution to these types of communal repercussions in future, they must concentrate in stopping illegal conversion, put a check on the church based NGOs, stop cow-slaughter strictly in Orissa and manage the forest land and tribal land problems with tribal welfare as the sole yardstick. This would also serve as a fitting tribute to the departed soul of Swamijee who has immortalized himself by laying down his life on the altar of the motherland.
On the 23rd August, while doing pooja on Janmasthami, the most sacred day for Hindus, militant Christians entered into the Ashram premises at about 8.00 p.m. and pumped bullets from an AK-47 assault rifle on the frail body of an 84 years old Swamijee (Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati) at Jalespata Vanavasi Kanyashram in Kandhamal District of Orissa. After killing him brutally the Christian assailants have cut various parts of Swamiji's body by chisel and axe, it appears. Along with him others who while trying to rescue Swamiji got killed are Sadhwi Bhakti Mata who was in over all charge of the Kalyan Ashram, Kishore Baba, Amritanand Baba and a visitor guardian of an inmate of the school. The dead body of Mataji was also defiled by cut injuries which were most brutish and nasty.
Swamiji had received a threatening letter which he could read only the previous evening on his return from routine tour for religious preaching. He had sought security from the local police against imminent danger to his life by a written prayer to the authorities including the District Magistrate on 23rd August. The media had broadcast on apprehensions to his life during morning news bulletins on the very fateful 23rd August. Hardly one month back, at Tumudibandh, two kilometers from his Jalespata Ashram, there was armed attack by a group of Christians when he was protesting against Cow-slaughter in the area. In the violence one of
his disciples Madhu Baba had sustained fatal cut injuries. Following the incident the State Government had deployed one platoon of armed CRPF personnel to guard his Ashram round the clock. Swamiji, in addition to these arrangements, had an armed security person to protect him during his tours who was mysteriously absent at the time of attack. It may be mentioned that the personal security man Bhubaneswar Jani who was replaced by an emaciated, cowardice constable by the local S.P. only five days prior to the attack, was serving Swamijee for more than 10 months most sincerely jeopardizing his own life. During armed attack by militant Christians on the 24th December 2007 at Daringbadi for which he was hospitalized along with Swamiji with fatal injuries.
In that connection, though the Police has registered a case vide 83/07 u/s 147/148/353/323/324/307/426/149 IPC the culprits are still at large with impunity.
Prior to this there were nine more attacks on Swamiji's life and consistently the assailants were all recently converted Christians in the area. It is evident that the Catholic Church and the Baptist Church by conversion was gradually criminalizing the local youth. Few of them were also encouraged to join the Maoist group of terrorists which was proved by the way Bamunigaon Police Station was attacked and the subsequent raids in non-descript Sikarama village during December violence there, that led to recovery of more than 20 guns in a single tiny village.
What is surprising is that similar raids were not conducted in other villages where there is pillage of fire-arms. More suspicious is the withdrawal of the CRPF from the Ashram and replacing the PSO to the Swamijee only five days prior to the murderous attack on 23rd August. Danger to the life of Swamijee was mounting every day since the abortive attempt on his life in last December. According to reliable sources, there was a secret meeting on 9th August 2008 in the Community Centre at Raikia attended by activists representing Church based NGOs like the World Vision, Jana Kalyan Samiti, NISWAS, ASHA, Sahara, Palli Shree, Jana Vikash etc. who regularly receive huge funds from abroad. It was also attended by Nakul Nayak, former M.P. from the ruling BJD, Krushna Para Seth the former Block Chairman from Tumidibandh, Alfansoe Baliyar Singh a notorious militant Christian from Raikia, advocate Manas Singh who was to bring activists from Bamunigaon and Daringbadi in a vehicle specifically provided by Archbishop C.Raphel. It was resolved in the meeting to eliminate Swamijee who was 'an insurmountable obstacle against conversion and cow-slaughter in the area'. Simultaneously, they felt that by philanthropic activities among the Kondh tribes in the District he was dissuading the vulnerable poor and illiterate tribe and Panas in the area from falling prey to the allurements and fraud by the Church authorities. Sources reveal that on the 13th August a letter purportedly written by 'Pahadia' group of people was circulated addressed to the Swamiji that his life would not be spared, that too, within a week. Copies were supposed to be sent to the State Chief Minister, DGP, District Magistrate, District S.P. etc. besides the Swamijee and some other targets. A similar closed door meeting was reportedly held on 20th August in the Jana Kalyan Samiti at Jatani (Khurda) attended among others by Father Bijoy Nayak from Baliguda Church and Ajay Singh of Khurda, where it was decided to eliminate Swamijee, come what may. On the 23rd August night they succeeded in killing him as per their planned conspiracy.
The government had clear knowledge and the authorities had detailed information, but instead of reinforcing the security arrangements, it appears that they colluded with the killers. What has failed to convince is the glaring gap in alacrity with which the Orissa Police had rounded up 63 suspects in Graham Staines murder case within 24 hours of the alleged murder and their utter failure to arrest even a single culprit even after four days of the murder of Swamijee. People of Orissa expressed their ire against the government during the dawn to dusk bandh in the most unprecedented manner for the government attributed this murder to the Naxal Maoists within minutes of the incidents. They were reminded of the callousness of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who had made a similar statement accusing the Maoists when DIG Jasvir Singh was killed but later it was revealed by subsequent investigation that the DIG was killed by his own PSO from Orissa Police. When there was prior information on danger to life of Swamijee, so much so that, the local TV channels trumpeted the whole day urging the government to save the Swamijee from imminent attack, the government apparently colluded with the killers and in order to prove his self-claimed 'secular credentials' the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is over active to safeguard the Christian minorities from the onslaught by the enraged Hindus whole over the State. Now the question is, why should the government first create a situation by a series of 'omissions and commissions' later in order to prove his 'secular credentials' try to protect the endangered minorities. There can not be a greater embarrassment for the ruling alliance BJP who can not escape the moral responsibility of being a party to these omissions and commissions on the part of the coalition government.
It is a ghastly incident and a challenge to the advocates of pseudo-secularism that the majorities are discriminated against, to keep the minorities appeased. The pseudo secularists have proved more Christian than Pope in upholding Christianity in India. The
unprecedented response to the bandh called by Hindu organizations in Orissa indicated the shape of things to come. No government how powerful it may be can function with out the co-operation from the people. Peoples elected representatives in Orissa have legislated for the first time in independent India, the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 to prevent conversion by fraud, allurements, cheating, bribery and misrepresentation. It was challenged by all the Churches in the country in the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Bench of the apex court upheld its validity and said that right to propagate does not include right to convert. Swamijee was only insisting that the Act should be strictly followed in the State. He came to Kandhamal District because there was utter poverty and illiteracy in the district with more than 70% of its population as tribals who are below the poverty line. He came there in 1967 and continued till his murder by Christians on 23rd in August 2008. Similarly, Orissa was the first to enact against cow-slaughter in 1964 as per Directive Principles in the Part-IV of the Constitution. Swamijee had made the motto of his life mission to make Orissa free of conversion as well as cow-slaughter. These two Acts legislated by Orissa Assembly reflect
the sentiments of Orissa people for implementation by subsequent governments. So long as these Acts are in the statute book, it is the constitutional responsibility of the government of the day to execute strictly. But the government has miserably failed. The government did not co-operate, rather criminally neglected in saving the life one man who preferred to lay down his life for the common cause.
The Church supposed to preach The Gospels, ironically criminalizes the youth and with foreign funding indulges in conversion by-passing the law. Hindus in Orissa are not against any particular community or religion. They do not want any other religion to disturb their faith and social harmony by taking advantage of poverty and illiteracy in their society. Irate Hindus when, as a last resort react, at times, with violence; the advocates of 'secularism' cry for protection. Is it not time enough to stop conversion and cow-slaughter as a respect for the majority leaving in the country as a lasting measure to ensure peace and harmony in the society? As this brutal murder is directly linked with the series of incidents right from December 2007, until and unless the State Police detects the right culprits and bring them to book with out further loss of time, peoples already shaken trust on the government can not be restored and peace in the civil society can not come back. Should the government at the centre and the state want a permanent solution to these types of communal repercussions in future, they must concentrate in stopping illegal conversion, put a check on the church based NGOs, stop cow-slaughter strictly in Orissa and manage the forest land and tribal land problems with tribal welfare as the sole yardstick. This would also serve as a fitting tribute to the departed soul of Swamijee who has immortalized himself by laying down his life on the altar of the motherland.
Double face of Church in Orissa
July 24, 2004: Christian people had thrown egg at Lord Jagannath on
Rath Yatra at Osagumunda village in Nawarangpur district. Eight eggs
were thrown on the chariot.
July 28, 2007: Two Nun including Prema and Merry of Baghamara Catholic
Church in Baripada arrested for torturing students of Bijay Sadan High
School.
October 23, 2006: Principal of Bhubaneswar based Christian Charitable
run Loyala School had been transferred on allegation of misbehave to
a Class-IX student.
July 1, 2005: Two students killed after consuming poisoned food in
Singarmunda Mission UP School hostel in Sundargarh district. Two
students were Gagori Lakra( Class-VII) and Prasant Kujuru( Class-V).
September 30, 2003: Christian people have encroached lands of locals
at Kurada village in Deogarh.
February 19, 2005: A girl Jyotrimayee was kidnapped and killed after
she denied to change her religion in Dhenkanal district.
November 24, 2003: A nun was arrested on allegation on human
trafficking in Deogarh district. In this case, a Nun called Meena had
promised a job to Manujla and taken her to Mumbai. But in stead of
job, the Nun tortured Manjula.
July 14, 2008: 120 children rescued after 23 days in Rayagada. A
Church run NGO called Keradi and its director Ranjan Sobhanayak had
promised the children to provide education at Ashok Kalyan Mandap in
Rayagada. Gadanayak took Rs 2,500 from each child. When it probed that
it was racket, police took action against the concerned authorities.
July 1, 2004: 5 students in a Church run Boy Home in Keonjhar have
alleged that the authorities torturing them and forcing them to work
in hazardous conditions.
August 18, 2008: In a tragic incident, two students of Anand Niketan
schools at Lamatapur Block in the district met a watery grave in the
Kolab reservoir during a swimming competition hosted by a Church run
School. According to police, the school was conducting a swimming
competition in which 15 students had participated.
However, while 13 of them swam ashore, two other Samuel Moharia (12)
and Mohammad Abu Bachar (14) drowned in the reservoir. By the time the
locals rescued them, they were already dead. Sources said swimming
competition was held as part of a conversion programee of the Church.
January 28, 2008: Church people have physically and mentally tortured
inmates of an Orphanage at Talpadartirka village in Bargarh district.
The church people also sexually abuse one inmates named Rukmani
Hembrum( 10). Protesting over such nexus of Church people, locals had
blocked roads and demanded a high level probe. They had demanded to
arrest Church men including Simarpana Lima and Anargala Lima.
February 19, 2004: Hindu Parents mentally tortured in Orissa.
Christian organisations in Orissa once again resorted to vitriol
against Hindus and Hindu organisations for forcefully converting their
people to Hinduism. This time Kinnimul village of Jagatsingghpur
district is in focus. Eight persons including seven women were
forcefully tonsured by Hindus in the village alleged Christian
organisations seeking even intervention of Orissa Governor M.M.
Rajendran.
These eight tonsured people were paraded before press and electronic
media in a Church premise at Bhubaneswar and were made to allege that
their intolerant Hindu neighbourers tonsured them in their bid to
convert them to Hindu religion.
However an on the spot investigation did not find any attempt for
forceful conversion of Christians to Hindu fold. Rather found helpless
parents shedding tears as missionaries took away their young daughters
and even minor children converted them to Christianity and instigated
them to defy the old cultural moorings of their society. Niranjan Bhoi
of Kinnimul village is helpless. His two daughters Mamata (20) and
Narmada (18) have left their house and are not coming back. The
reason, Christians have distanced these girls from their family and
are even up against their father looking for their marriages.
"My husband is mentally retarded and I see my future in my only son
Sujit (18)", said Amitarani Jena of the same village with a choked
voice. Mrs. Jena said that Christians have taken away her son and She
is even not aware of his whereabouts. Mrs. Jena said that She has
heard from her Christian neighbourers that Sujit is being given
training in a Church at Bhubaneswar. "I am helpless" said She pleading
before Christians to send back her son to the family fold.
Santosh Kumar Jena (14) a student of class IX with Bible in hand has
all innocence to tell that he has been provided with bags of
literature from local Christians. He has been urged to defy his
parents to come to Church as that could fetch him money and good
employment in future.
With rising consciousness among Hindus in the village, few people
earlier converted to Christianity changed over to their original
faith. Bothered over the development mandarins of Church brought eight
people, tonsured them and produced before press to win sympathy,
alleged Mr. Sahu.
January 18, 2006: Church people beaten a woman at Matiapada village in
Sahupada Panchayat of Bari block in Jajpur district, after the woman
refused to embrace Christianity. Police arrested Guna Mallick,
Kulamani, Tinkana, Ramesh and Gandharba for assaulting the woman.
Rath Yatra at Osagumunda village in Nawarangpur district. Eight eggs
were thrown on the chariot.
July 28, 2007: Two Nun including Prema and Merry of Baghamara Catholic
Church in Baripada arrested for torturing students of Bijay Sadan High
School.
October 23, 2006: Principal of Bhubaneswar based Christian Charitable
run Loyala School had been transferred on allegation of misbehave to
a Class-IX student.
July 1, 2005: Two students killed after consuming poisoned food in
Singarmunda Mission UP School hostel in Sundargarh district. Two
students were Gagori Lakra( Class-VII) and Prasant Kujuru( Class-V).
September 30, 2003: Christian people have encroached lands of locals
at Kurada village in Deogarh.
February 19, 2005: A girl Jyotrimayee was kidnapped and killed after
she denied to change her religion in Dhenkanal district.
November 24, 2003: A nun was arrested on allegation on human
trafficking in Deogarh district. In this case, a Nun called Meena had
promised a job to Manujla and taken her to Mumbai. But in stead of
job, the Nun tortured Manjula.
July 14, 2008: 120 children rescued after 23 days in Rayagada. A
Church run NGO called Keradi and its director Ranjan Sobhanayak had
promised the children to provide education at Ashok Kalyan Mandap in
Rayagada. Gadanayak took Rs 2,500 from each child. When it probed that
it was racket, police took action against the concerned authorities.
July 1, 2004: 5 students in a Church run Boy Home in Keonjhar have
alleged that the authorities torturing them and forcing them to work
in hazardous conditions.
August 18, 2008: In a tragic incident, two students of Anand Niketan
schools at Lamatapur Block in the district met a watery grave in the
Kolab reservoir during a swimming competition hosted by a Church run
School. According to police, the school was conducting a swimming
competition in which 15 students had participated.
However, while 13 of them swam ashore, two other Samuel Moharia (12)
and Mohammad Abu Bachar (14) drowned in the reservoir. By the time the
locals rescued them, they were already dead. Sources said swimming
competition was held as part of a conversion programee of the Church.
January 28, 2008: Church people have physically and mentally tortured
inmates of an Orphanage at Talpadartirka village in Bargarh district.
The church people also sexually abuse one inmates named Rukmani
Hembrum( 10). Protesting over such nexus of Church people, locals had
blocked roads and demanded a high level probe. They had demanded to
arrest Church men including Simarpana Lima and Anargala Lima.
February 19, 2004: Hindu Parents mentally tortured in Orissa.
Christian organisations in Orissa once again resorted to vitriol
against Hindus and Hindu organisations for forcefully converting their
people to Hinduism. This time Kinnimul village of Jagatsingghpur
district is in focus. Eight persons including seven women were
forcefully tonsured by Hindus in the village alleged Christian
organisations seeking even intervention of Orissa Governor M.M.
Rajendran.
These eight tonsured people were paraded before press and electronic
media in a Church premise at Bhubaneswar and were made to allege that
their intolerant Hindu neighbourers tonsured them in their bid to
convert them to Hindu religion.
However an on the spot investigation did not find any attempt for
forceful conversion of Christians to Hindu fold. Rather found helpless
parents shedding tears as missionaries took away their young daughters
and even minor children converted them to Christianity and instigated
them to defy the old cultural moorings of their society. Niranjan Bhoi
of Kinnimul village is helpless. His two daughters Mamata (20) and
Narmada (18) have left their house and are not coming back. The
reason, Christians have distanced these girls from their family and
are even up against their father looking for their marriages.
"My husband is mentally retarded and I see my future in my only son
Sujit (18)", said Amitarani Jena of the same village with a choked
voice. Mrs. Jena said that Christians have taken away her son and She
is even not aware of his whereabouts. Mrs. Jena said that She has
heard from her Christian neighbourers that Sujit is being given
training in a Church at Bhubaneswar. "I am helpless" said She pleading
before Christians to send back her son to the family fold.
Santosh Kumar Jena (14) a student of class IX with Bible in hand has
all innocence to tell that he has been provided with bags of
literature from local Christians. He has been urged to defy his
parents to come to Church as that could fetch him money and good
employment in future.
With rising consciousness among Hindus in the village, few people
earlier converted to Christianity changed over to their original
faith. Bothered over the development mandarins of Church brought eight
people, tonsured them and produced before press to win sympathy,
alleged Mr. Sahu.
January 18, 2006: Church people beaten a woman at Matiapada village in
Sahupada Panchayat of Bari block in Jajpur district, after the woman
refused to embrace Christianity. Police arrested Guna Mallick,
Kulamani, Tinkana, Ramesh and Gandharba for assaulting the woman.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)