Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
they indulge in lawlessness. Because the elections are near, and the maoists have given the rightwing a golden opportunity to ignite the communal fire and harvest votes. How is this different from terrorism of the Maoists or Talebanis is beyond my comprehension? And how can a member of this forum be allowed to take this stance of open terrorism without censure? Kundan On 8/28/08, sri venkat [EMAIL PROTECTED] ahvenkitesh%40gmail.com wrote: it is not a question of minority or majority, it is a question of who does the provocative aggression and hatred in the first place. If you do not address the issue which started this all, there is no solution. And the issue is really not very difficult to figure out. It is intolerant, Christian proselytization which takes advantage of the inherent inclusiveness and tolerance of the majority Hindu. I am sorry to say, there is a limit to Hindu tolerance. So only Christians have the answer to their problem they have created. The beloved swami Lashmanananda of the tribals in Kandhamal was brutally killed while doing Pooja on Janmashtami by those opposed to his anti conversion efforts. No Hindu will forget such a gruesome murder. Venkitesh Venkitesh On 8/28/08, anindita dey [EMAIL PROTECTED] mrsadey%40yahoo.co.in wrote: We should never get disheartened to few unscrupulous elements and their propaganda masters through blogs and blame entire State. Do not get carried away by blurred vision of these propaganda masters. The very Indian Constitution provides protection to each and every citizen, minority or majority alike. Also, it has a strong Institutional back up to provide such protection. That is why, even during BJP run Government era, the same was not infringed. I do not see any departure from Indian ideology and policy as on today. Although we have already lost some life which is irreversible, agonizing and precious, still we should not loose faith on our Institutions. Justice will take its own course with time and truth will prevail. --- On Wed, 27/8/08, Biplab Mukherjee [EMAIL PROTECTED]contactbabua%40gmail.com wrote: From: Biplab Mukherjee [EMAIL PROTECTED]contactbabua%40gmail.com Subject: Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Jharkhand@yahoogroups.co.in Jharkhand%40yahoogroups.co.in Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 5:17 PM Jharkhand Forum state wants to eliminate minorities from the country's map biplab On 8/27/08, anindita dey [EMAIL PROTECTED] co.in wrote: Jharkhand Forum | Jharkhand Blog | Jharkhand Video | Jharkhand Network Thanks Ventakji for putting such an extraordinary piece which will certainly heal (?) the wounds and bring peace (if you understand the meaning of this word). Please send it again to Mr. Kumar (I could see reasons to overlook this by Mr. Kumar) so that he understands what the evangelist run (as proclaimed by him in the past) CNN-IBN has conspired to reflect. --- On Wed, 27/8/08, sri venkat ahvenkitesh@ gmail.com wrote: From: sri venkat ahvenkitesh@ gmail.com Subject: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 9:14 AM Dear Friends I came across this IBNlive poll regarding the recent murder and violence in Khandamal. Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa A MATTER OF FAITH: CNN-IBN panelists debate if conversions pitting Hindus against Christians. Religion has split Orissa and the divide is murderous. Several people have been killed in communal clashes in Kandhamal district after the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader on Saturday. The VHP called for a statewide shutdown in the state on Monday during which churches, prayer houses and vehicles were attacked in many places. The communal tension began after Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a member of VHP's central advisory committee, and four others were murdered by suspected Naxals in Kandhamal district. Police and paramilitary forces are on guard in towns of Kandhamal district. Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, has been clamped across Kandhamal. Saraswati was leading a campaign against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the communally sensitive district. Rightwing Hindu groups allege that Christians killed Saraswati because he opposed conversion. Christian organisations reject such allegations. In one of the worst attacks, a Christian woman died and a priest was severely burnt when a mob set fire to an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in Bargarh district on Monday. The incident
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
Dear Rama Kant Rai: Thank you for reminding us that we are/should be human beings first and members of any group/language/community/religion later. Thanks also for the reminder for respect to the innocent victims includuing a large proportion of women and children in this latest conflagration of hate. I agree that some of the content in this forum is beneath our attention and there is a need for being proactive at such a time. Can we all try to write individial protests to the Prime Minister, President, Union and State Home ministers, Chief minister, etc as a first step? Cynthia Cynthia Stephen Independent Researcher and writer Bangalore, India
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
We should never get disheartened to few unscrupulous elements and their propaganda masters through blogs and blame entire State. Do not get carried away by blurred vision of these propaganda masters. The very Indian Constitution provides protection to each and every citizen, minority or majority alike. Also, it has a strong Institutional back up to provide such protection. That is why, even during BJP run Government era, the same was not infringed. I do not see any departure from Indian ideology and policy as on today. Although we have already lost some life which is irreversible, agonizing and precious, still we should not loose faith on our Institutions. Justice will take its own course with time and truth will prevail. --- On Wed, 27/8/08, Biplab Mukherjee [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Biplab Mukherjee [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Jharkhand@yahoogroups.co.in Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 5:17 PM Jharkhand Forum state wants to eliminate minorities from the country's map biplab On 8/27/08, anindita dey [EMAIL PROTECTED] co.in wrote: Jharkhand Forum | Jharkhand Blog | Jharkhand Video | Jharkhand Network Thanks Ventakji for putting such an extraordinary piece which will certainly heal (?) the wounds and bring peace (if you understand the meaning of this word). Please send it again to Mr. Kumar (I could see reasons to overlook this by Mr. Kumar) so that he understands what the evangelist run (as proclaimed by him in the past) CNN-IBN has conspired to reflect. --- On Wed, 27/8/08, sri venkat ahvenkitesh@ gmail.com wrote: From: sri venkat ahvenkitesh@ gmail.com Subject: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 9:14 AM Dear Friends I came across this IBNlive poll regarding the recent murder and violence in Khandamal. Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa A MATTER OF FAITH: CNN-IBN panelists debate if conversions pitting Hindus against Christians. Religion has split Orissa and the divide is murderous. Several people have been killed in communal clashes in Kandhamal district after the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader on Saturday. The VHP called for a statewide shutdown in the state on Monday during which churches, prayer houses and vehicles were attacked in many places. The communal tension began after Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a member of VHP's central advisory committee, and four others were murdered by suspected Naxals in Kandhamal district. Police and paramilitary forces are on guard in towns of Kandhamal district. Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, has been clamped across Kandhamal. Saraswati was leading a campaign against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the communally sensitive district. Rightwing Hindu groups allege that Christians killed Saraswati because he opposed conversion. Christian organisations reject such allegations. In one of the worst attacks, a Christian woman died and a priest was severely burnt when a mob set fire to an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in Bargarh district on Monday. The incident again brought shame to the state. Nine years ago, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in Keonjhar district. What has caused the communal divide in Orissa? Is religion to blame or politics? Are conversions pitting Hindus against Christians? CNN-IBN's Sagarika Ghose asked this on Face The Nation. The guests on the show were: RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav, Reverend Dr Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty, of the Council for Social Development. Madhav was infuriated at allegations that Hindu groups were targeting missionaries and Christians in Orissa. The situation is quite different. Hindus are at the receiving end. A highly respected saint was killed. There is enough evidence to prove the complicity of Christian organisations in the murder, he claimed. Howell rejected the Madhav's allegation and claimed conversion has become an excuse to attack Christians and malign them. The VHP gets the maximum amount of money India than Christians. Christians have used money to serve and empower the poor and marginalized. Not a single case has been proved till date in the courts of forced conversion (by Christian groups), he said. The issue is not religion but poverty, said Professor Mohanty. Kandhamal is one of the poorest regions in the country. Seventy per cent people here are below the poverty line; 51 per cent are tribals and 16 per cent are Dalits, he said. It is a situation of poverty and landlessness, both among Hindus and Christians. Orissa has become the experiment ground of globalisation, economic reforms, mega projects and Hindutva politics. Hindu
Re: Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
I agree with you Cynthia keep u the good work. On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 Cynthia Stephen wrote : Dear Rama Kant Rai: Thank you for reminding us that we are/should be human beings first and members of any group/language/community/religion later. Thanks also for the reminder for respect to the innocent victims includuing a large proportion of women and children in this latest conflagration of hate. I agree that some of the content in this forum is beneath our attention and there is a need for being proactive at such a time. Can we all try to write individial protests to the Prime Minister, President, Union and State Home ministers, Chief minister, etc as a first step? Cynthia Cynthia Stephen Independent Researcher and writer Bangalore, India
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
to say, there is a limit to Hindu tolerance. So only Christians have the answer to their problem they have created. The beloved swami Lashmanananda of the tribals in Kandhamal was brutally killed while doing Pooja on Janmashtami by those opposed to his anti conversion efforts. No Hindu will forget such a gruesome murder. Venkitesh Venkitesh On 8/28/08, anindita dey [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We should never get disheartened to few unscrupulous elements and their propaganda masters through blogs and blame entire State. Do not get carried away by blurred vision of these propaganda masters. The very Indian Constitution provides protection to each and every citizen, minority or majority alike. Also, it has a strong Institutional back up to provide such protection. That is why, even during BJP run Government era, the same was not infringed. I do not see any departure from Indian ideology and policy as on today. Although we have already lost some life which is irreversible, agonizing and precious, still we should not loose faith on our Institutions. Justice will take its own course with time and truth will prevail. --- On Wed, 27/8/08, Biplab Mukherjee [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Biplab Mukherjee [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Jharkhand@yahoogroups.co.in Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 5:17 PM Jharkhand Forum state wants to eliminate minorities from the country's map biplab On 8/27/08, anindita dey [EMAIL PROTECTED] co.in wrote: Jharkhand Forum | Jharkhand Blog | Jharkhand Video | Jharkhand Network Thanks Ventakji for putting such an extraordinary piece which will certainly heal (?) the wounds and bring peace (if you understand the meaning of this word). Please send it again to Mr. Kumar (I could see reasons to overlook this by Mr. Kumar) so that he understands what the evangelist run (as proclaimed by him in the past) CNN-IBN has conspired to reflect. --- On Wed, 27/8/08, sri venkat ahvenkitesh@ gmail.com wrote: From: sri venkat ahvenkitesh@ gmail.com Subject: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 9:14 AM Dear Friends I came across this IBNlive poll regarding the recent murder and violence in Khandamal. Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa A MATTER OF FAITH: CNN-IBN panelists debate if conversions pitting Hindus against Christians. Religion has split Orissa and the divide is murderous. Several people have been killed in communal clashes in Kandhamal district after the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader on Saturday. The VHP called for a statewide shutdown in the state on Monday during which churches, prayer houses and vehicles were attacked in many places. The communal tension began after Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a member of VHP's central advisory committee, and four others were murdered by suspected Naxals in Kandhamal district. Police and paramilitary forces are on guard in towns of Kandhamal district. Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, has been clamped across Kandhamal. Saraswati was leading a campaign against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the communally sensitive district. Rightwing Hindu groups allege that Christians killed Saraswati because he opposed conversion. Christian organisations reject such allegations. In one of the worst attacks, a Christian woman died and a priest was severely burnt when a mob set fire to an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in Bargarh district on Monday. The incident again brought shame to the state. Nine years ago, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in Keonjhar district. What has caused the communal divide in Orissa? Is religion to blame or politics? Are conversions pitting Hindus against Christians? CNN-IBN's Sagarika Ghose asked this on Face The Nation. The guests on the show were: RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav, Reverend Dr Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty, of the Council for Social Development. Madhav was infuriated at allegations that Hindu groups were targeting missionaries and Christians in Orissa. The situation is quite different. Hindus are at the receiving end. A highly respected saint was killed. There is enough evidence to prove the complicity of Christian organisations in the murder, he claimed. Howell rejected the Madhav's allegation and claimed conversion has become an excuse to attack Christians and malign them. The VHP gets the maximum amount of money India than Christians. Christians have used money to serve
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
Johar all, Whatever may be the reason for such violent behaviour of people of Orissa ? Is this the way to show the reaction ?? Ultimately whatever hungama now going on here in orissa in the name of religion; the poor, tribal dalit people are being targeted and murdered. We are all forgeting the fact that we are ALSO Human being ! ! ! Indra Govind Bhubaneswar On 8/27/08, sri venkat [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dear Friends I came across this IBNlive poll regarding the recent murder and violence in Khandamal. Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa A MATTER OF FAITH: CNN-IBN panelists debate if conversions pitting Hindus against Christians. Religion has split Orissa and the divide is murderous. Several people have been killed in communal clashes in Kandhamal district after the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader on Saturday. The VHP called for a statewide shutdown in the state on Monday during which churches, prayer houses and vehicles were attacked in many places. The communal tension began after Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a member of VHP's central advisory committee, and four others were murdered by suspected Naxals in Kandhamal district. Police and paramilitary forces are on guard in towns of Kandhamal district. Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, has been clamped across Kandhamal. Saraswati was leading a campaign against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the communally sensitive district. Rightwing Hindu groups allege that Christians killed Saraswati because he opposed conversion. Christian organisations reject such allegations. In one of the worst attacks, a Christian woman died and a priest was severely burnt when a mob set fire to an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in Bargarh district on Monday. The incident again brought shame to the state. Nine years ago, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in Keonjhar district. What has caused the communal divide in Orissa? Is religion to blame or politics? Are conversions pitting Hindus against Christians? CNN-IBN's Sagarika Ghose asked this on Face The Nation. The guests on the show were: RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav, Reverend Dr Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty, of the Council for Social Development. Madhav was infuriated at allegations that Hindu groups were targeting missionaries and Christians in Orissa. The situation is quite different. Hindus are at the receiving end. A highly respected saint was killed. There is enough evidence to prove the complicity of Christian organisations in the murder, he claimed. Howell rejected the Madhav's allegation and claimed conversion has become an excuse to attack Christians and malign them. The VHP gets the maximum amount of money India than Christians. Christians have used money to serve and empower the poor and marginalized. Not a single case has been proved till date in the courts of forced conversion (by Christian groups), he said. The issue is not religion but poverty, said Professor Mohanty. Kandhamal is one of the poorest regions in the country. Seventy per cent people here are below the poverty line; 51 per cent are tribals and 16 per cent are Dalits, he said. It is a situation of poverty and landlessness, both among Hindus and Christians. Orissa has become the experiment ground of globalisation, economic reforms, mega projects and Hindutva politics. Hindu groups are not to blame for the violence and the state is in turmoil because of Christian missionaries, alleged Madhav. Every conversion in Orissa has to be registered with the local police or magistrate but no such thing happens. Where is the chance for Hindutva politics when missionaries are going about aggressively and alluring people, he said. The Sangh Parivar doesn't hate conversions as much as it does Christians, alleged Howell. An ideology of hatred has been propagated by some sections of the Sangh Parivar. They don't hate Christian service; it is the very identity of being a Christian that is hated. There are just 2.4 per cent Christians in India and we too have contributed to the growth of the country. Christians are not hated, insisted Madhav. Every religion is respected in this country but Christians criticise and attack Hindu religion. It this attitude of Christians which is leading to tension in this country, he alleged. The communal divide in Orissa's tribal districts is the result of poverty and competitive politics, said Mohanty. The shrinking rights of tribals over forests and land and the coming of mega projects is the economic issue there. They are all poor there and poverty is being diverted to communalism. It is competitive politics, he said. Madhav called such an analysis wrong. There is a clear cut division between Hindus and Christians and it is
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
state wants to eliminate minorities from the country's map biplab On 8/27/08, anindita dey [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Jharkhand Forum | Jharkhand Blog | Jharkhand Video | Jharkhand Networkhttp://www.jharkhand.org.in/ http://egroups.com/list/Jharkhand * * *Thanks Ventakji for putting such an extraordinary piece which will certainly heal (?) the wounds and bring peace (if you understand the meaning of this word). Please send it again to Mr. Kumar (I could see reasons to overlook this by Mr. Kumar) so that he understands what the evangelist run (as proclaimed by him in the past) CNN-IBN has conspired to reflect. * --- On *Wed, 27/8/08, sri venkat [EMAIL PROTECTED]* wrote: From: sri venkat [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 9:14 AM Dear Friends I came across this IBNlive poll regarding the recent murder and violence in Khandamal. Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa A MATTER OF FAITH: CNN-IBN panelists debate if conversions pitting Hindus against Christians. Religion has split Orissa and the divide is murderous. Several people have been killed in communal clashes in Kandhamal district after the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader on Saturday. The VHP called for a statewide shutdown in the state on Monday during which churches, prayer houses and vehicles were attacked in many places. The communal tension began after Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a member of VHP's central advisory committee, and four others were murdered by suspected Naxals in Kandhamal district. Police and paramilitary forces are on guard in towns of Kandhamal district. Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, has been clamped across Kandhamal. Saraswati was leading a campaign against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the communally sensitive district. Rightwing Hindu groups allege that Christians killed Saraswati because he opposed conversion. Christian organisations reject such allegations. In one of the worst attacks, a Christian woman died and a priest was severely burnt when a mob set fire to an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in Bargarh district on Monday. The incident again brought shame to the state. Nine years ago, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in Keonjhar district. What has caused the communal divide in Orissa? Is religion to blame or politics? Are conversions pitting Hindus against Christians? CNN-IBN's Sagarika Ghose asked this on Face The Nation. The guests on the show were: RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav, Reverend Dr Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty, of the Council for Social Development. Madhav was infuriated at allegations that Hindu groups were targeting missionaries and Christians in Orissa. The situation is quite different. Hindus are at the receiving end. A highly respected saint was killed. There is enough evidence to prove the complicity of Christian organisations in the murder, he claimed. Howell rejected the Madhav's allegation and claimed conversion has become an excuse to attack Christians and malign them. The VHP gets the maximum amount of money India than Christians. Christians have used money to serve and empower the poor and marginalized. Not a single case has been proved till date in the courts of forced conversion (by Christian groups), he said. The issue is not religion but poverty, said Professor Mohanty. Kandhamal is one of the poorest regions in the country. Seventy per cent people here are below the poverty line; 51 per cent are tribals and 16 per cent are Dalits, he said. It is a situation of poverty and landlessness, both among Hindus and Christians. Orissa has become the experiment ground of globalisation, economic reforms, mega projects and Hindutva politics. Hindu groups are not to blame for the violence and the state is in turmoil because of Christian missionaries, alleged Madhav. Every conversion in Orissa has to be registered with the local police or magistrate but no such thing happens. Where is the chance for Hindutva politics when missionaries are going about aggressively and alluring people, he said. The Sangh Parivar doesn't hate conversions as much as it does Christians, alleged Howell. An ideology of hatred has been propagated by some sections of the Sangh Parivar. They don't hate Christian service; it is the very identity of being a Christian that is hated. There are just 2.4 per cent Christians in India and we too have contributed to the growth of the country. Christians are not hated, insisted Madhav. Every religion is respected in this country but Christians criticise and attack Hindu religion. It this attitude of Christians which is leading to tension in this country, he alleged
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
I think some people should control their poisonous mails comments and reactions on blogs. People should be simpathetic to thr poor victims, children and women who happened to be innocent. I dont think the victims are either minority or whatever..they are simply human being and those who are offending the human rights are neither hindues nor any religions they are simply inhuman people and should be condemned by all means, it should be protested from all corners. What other friends are feeling . What is the proactive action needed. Please keep us posted whar we can do. Rama Kant Rai National Coalition for Education New Delhi
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
VHP's bravery in face of defenceless women and children is boundless. Maybe they should use this courage to go and fight the naxals in Malkangiri - after all it was the Maoists who have claimed to kill Swami Laxmananand. Its interesting how in midst of all this communal propaganda by the VHP and its allies, the *elephant in the room* - those who claimed to have carried out the heinous act that has led to this situation, is being *ignored by the leaders of VHP*. Why are the VHP shifting the blame from Maoists to the christians. Are they worried that they will be the next to come on the firing lines of the Maoists, who seem to have vitrually limitless reaching capacities and take out individuals. Are they also thinking that it is much safer to target the helpless women and children rather than someone who could bite back with bullets. Even in Chattsigarh, tribal youths have been trained to face the naxalites, while the leadership of the right moves behind z security -saying, chad ja bete suli par, ham peeche peeche hain. To imagine that the christian minority of Kandhmal would have the capability of carrying out an attack with automatic weapons in such an organised fashion is ridiculous beyond belief. There is only one group in Orissa with the capacity to carry out such an attack and that is the maoists - as they have shown time and again including in Nayagarh, Malkangiri and Koraput. There were ample warnings that they saw Swami Laxamanand as a major problem due to his hold on the kui speaking tribals - and therefore the elimination. To blame the miniscule Christian minority for the deadly and organised attack is a well thought out strategy by the VHP leadership - this means that they can be safe from the maoists while building their support by targetting minorities. I just hope that the tribals of Kandhmal could see through this game which has succeeded in driving a wedge between them and the Panas - with the major beneficiaries being the non-tribal hindus, most of whom are recent immigrants from the plains.Many of them see through this, remembering a time when the Kandhs were the kings and the panas their advisors, but with many with a vested interest in keeping the tribals and panas divided have kept the flames burning. Regards Kundan On 8/27/08, Ramakant Rai [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I think some people should control their poisonous mails comments and reactions on blogs. People should be simpathetic to thr poor victims, children and women who happened to be innocent. I dont think the victims are either minority or whatever..they are simply human being and those who are offending the human rights are neither hindues nor any religions they are simply inhuman people and should be condemned by all means, it should be protested from all corners. What other friends are feeling . What is the proactive action needed. Please keep us posted whar we can do. Rama Kant Rai National Coalition for Education New Delhi
Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
There is no shifting of the blame from Maoists to Christians. Swami had been targetted repeatedly, last in Dec.2007 when he was seriously wounded, but recovered, received several threats, the last threatening latter before the day he was killed!! There is conclusive evidence that the motive of the murders was to eiliminate him from obstructing conversions of tribals and Dalits here to Christianity. http://www.dailypio neer.com/ indexn12. asp?main_ variable= BHUBANESWAR file_name= bhub5%2Etxt counter_img= 5 Pioneer News Service |Bhubaneswar President of Hindu Jagaran Samukhya Ashok Sahu on Sunday accused the State Government of deliberately misleading the public by giving a Maoist colour to the gruesome murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. Sahu told reporters that for having utterly failed to give adequate security to the Swami in the face of repeated attack and imminent danger to his life and frequent letters from the Swami himself to the authorities. On December 23, he escaped a violent attack and was hospitalised with fatal injuries. Sahu revealed quoting Swamiji that there was a meeting at Raikia Community Centre on August 9, 2008 attended by many Christian militants representing NGOs. The conspiracy to kill the Swami was hatched in the meeting and on August 13 a threatening letter was circulated in the district and State authorities along with copies to individual targets including the Swami. On August 22, the Swami appealed to the District Magistrate to enhance his personal security. The news that his life was in danger had been broadcast by the media in the morning hours, but alas he was done away with in a well planned cold blooded murder by the evening before midnight in his own room. He died on the spot along with all those four others who were with him in the spiritual discourse. Swamiji was preventing the Kondh tribes who were targeted by the Missionaries for baptisation and was also trying to bring back the Dalit and tribal converts among Christians back to Hindu fold. For last forty-two years Swamiji was relentlessly fighting for prevention of cow- slaughter and conversion to Christianity particularly the poor and illiterate Kondh tribes who constitute more than 50 per cent of the population in the district. Sahu demanded a CBI enquiry into the ghastly incident and wanted the conspiracy angle to be unravelled. --- On Wed, 8/27/08, Kundan Kumar [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Kundan Kumar [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll To: Jharkhand@yahoogroups.co.in Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 8:33 PM Jharkhand Forum VHP's bravery in face of defenceless women and children is boundless. Maybe they should use this courage to go and fight the naxals in Malkangiri - after all it was the Maoists who have claimed to kill Swami Laxmananand. Its interesting how in midst of all this communal propaganda by the VHP and its allies, the elephant in the room - those who claimed to have carried out the heinous act that has led to this situation, is being ignored by the leaders of VHP. Why are the VHP shifting the blame from Maoists to the christians. Are they worried that they will be the next to come on the firing lines of the Maoists, who seem to have vitrually limitless reaching capacities and take out individuals. Are they also thinking that it is much safer to target the helpless women and children rather than someone who could bite back with bullets. Even in Chattsigarh, tribal youths have been trained to face the naxalites, while the leadership of the right moves behind z security -saying, chad ja bete suli par, ham peeche peeche hain. To imagine that the christian minority of Kandhmal would have the capability of carrying out an attack with automatic weapons in such an organised fashion is ridiculous beyond belief. There is only one group in Orissa with the capacity to carry out such an attack and that is the maoists - as they have shown time and again including in Nayagarh, Malkangiri and Koraput. There were ample warnings that they saw Swami Laxamanand as a major problem due to his hold on the kui speaking tribals - and therefore the elimination. To blame the miniscule Christian minority for the deadly and organised attack is a well thought out strategy by the VHP leadership - this means that they can be safe from the maoists while building their support by targetting minorities. I just hope that the tribals of Kandhmal could see through this game which has succeeded in driving a wedge between them and the Panas - with the major beneficiaries being the non-tribal hindus, most of whom are recent immigrants from the plains.Many of them see through this, remembering a time when the Kandhs were the kings and the panas their advisors, but with many with a vested interest in keeping the tribals and panas divided have kept the flames burning. Regards
Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa -- SMS poll
Dear Friends I came across this IBNlive poll regarding the recent murder and violence in Khandamal. Blind faith? Fragile peace blown to bits in Orissa A MATTER OF FAITH: CNN-IBN panelists debate if conversions pitting Hindus against Christians. Religion has split Orissa and the divide is murderous. Several people have been killed in communal clashes in Kandhamal district after the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader on Saturday. The VHP called for a statewide shutdown in the state on Monday during which churches, prayer houses and vehicles were attacked in many places. The communal tension began after Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a member of VHPs central advisory committee, and four others were murdered by suspected Naxals in Kandhamal district. Police and paramilitary forces are on guard in towns of Kandhamal district. Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, has been clamped across Kandhamal. Saraswati was leading a campaign against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the communally sensitive district. Rightwing Hindu groups allege that Christians killed Saraswati because he opposed conversion. Christian organisations reject such allegations. In one of the worst attacks, a Christian woman died and a priest was severely burnt when a mob set fire to an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in Bargarh district on Monday. The incident again brought shame to the state. Nine years ago, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in Keonjhar district. What has caused the communal divide in Orissa? Is religion to blame or politics? Are conversions pitting Hindus against Christians? CNN-IBNs Sagarika Ghose asked this on Face The Nation. The guests on the show were: RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav, Reverend Dr Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty, of the Council for Social Development. Madhav was infuriated at allegations that Hindu groups were targeting missionaries and Christians in Orissa. The situation is quite different. Hindus are at the receiving end. A highly respected saint was killed. There is enough evidence to prove the complicity of Christian organisations in the murder, he claimed. Howell rejected the Madhavs allegation and claimed conversion has become an excuse to attack Christians and malign them. The VHP gets the maximum amount of money India than Christians. Christians have used money to serve and empower the poor and marginalized. Not a single case has been proved till date in the courts of forced conversion (by Christian groups), he said. The issue is not religion but poverty, said Professor Mohanty. Kandhamal is one of the poorest regions in the country. Seventy per cent people here are below the poverty line; 51 per cent are tribals and 16 per cent are Dalits, he said. It is a situation of poverty and landlessness, both among Hindus and Christians. Orissa has become the experiment ground of globalisation, economic reforms, mega projects and Hindutva politics. Hindu groups are not to blame for the violence and the state is in turmoil because of Christian missionaries, alleged Madhav. Every conversion in Orissa has to be registered with the local police or magistrate but no such thing happens. Where is the chance for Hindutva politics when missionaries are going about aggressively and alluring people, he said. The Sangh Parivar doesnt hate conversions as much as it does Christians, alleged Howell. An ideology of hatred has been propagated by some sections of the Sangh Parivar. They dont hate Christian service; it is the very identity of being a Christian that is hated. There are just 2.4 per cent Christians in India and we too have contributed to the growth of the country. Christians are not hated, insisted Madhav. Every religion is respected in this country but Christians criticise and attack Hindu religion. It this attitude of Christians which is leading to tension in this country, he alleged. The communal divide in Orissas tribal districts is the result of poverty and competitive politics, said Mohanty. The shrinking rights of tribals over forests and land and the coming of mega projects is the economic issue there. They are all poor there and poverty is being diverted to communalism. It is competitive politics, he said. Madhav called such an analysis wrong. There is a clear cut division between Hindus and Christians and it is because of their (missionaries) wrongdoing and Congress leaders. A holy person is killed and the very next day the Congress tables a no-confidence motion against the state governmentwhat does it suggest? The Congress is a part of a larger political conspiracy, he alleged. Howell announced Christian institutions in the country would close on August 29 to protest against the attacks in
