I continue to be dismayed at the challenge that Dalits and Muslims in our country face in exercising thier freedom of religion. Yesterday, Ranjit forwarded a very disturbing report about a riot in Rohini. This morning the papers report that Muslims in Mysore were attacked because they were constructing a place of religious study, and also in continuation of some previous conflicts in the area. The legal response will take its course, but what will restore the sense of peace and security of the villagers who have suffered so much for so long? - Cynthia
"....[A]fter about an year from now, in August 2008, when the Dalit Christians were attacked, killed and their houses and churches were burnt to ashes in Khandamal, Orissa, Justice Chitta Ranjan Das of the fast track court II in Phulbani, convicted first person Mr. Chakradhar Mallick, 58 years old in the riots case with two years of imprisonment and a fine of one thousand rupees today. Adv. BD.Das, an advoacte at the High Court in Orissa on behalf of the Utkal Christian Council (UCC) has been leading a team of lawyers in fighting for justice for the Dalit Christians in Khandamal. Adv. BD Das explains that, with the available witnesses, (though many of the survivors of the riots are unable to identify the people who burnt their houses for they attacked in a mob, and they were running into jungles to save their lives), the trail has been fairly in a right direction, and justice will be ensured by convicting the miscreants. On a day to day basis lawyers have been attending the Court of law in Phulbani, about 250 kms from the State Capital to implore on behalf of the victims & survivors of violence, hatred and prejudices. According to the news from UCC, nearly 10,000 have been named in the 827 cases registered, where charge sheets have been filed for 437 cases and the investigations have been in progress. Meanwhile, after the Central Home Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram's recent visit to Khandamal and his apology to the survivors of the riots, the last batch of Central Reserve Police Force have been withdrawn from Khandamal, and the the people living in relief camps have been asked to go back to their houses, however there are still 1200 people in the camps. We thank you all for your solidarity and support expressed to our people in khandamal thus far, and seek your prayers as the trials are on for justice to be triumphant, and as the traumatised Dalit Christians start to resettle in their own houses in their localities. The road ahead is not a smooth one for the Dalit Christians in Khandamal as they have to start their living from the scratch, for they have lost their beloved ones, houses, property and everything in life. The trauma still continues to haunt these our people, several questions still remains unanswered and unsettled. Will the miscreants and caste fundamentalists allow these Dalit Christians to live peacefully in their own places with out any more attacks on them? Is the assurance of both the Central and State Governments for safety and security worth believing? Will these people be allowed to preach, practice and propagate their faith freely & openly? Will justice favour them? How to start living and earning their living? what are the new strategies of the casteist and fundamentalist groups?These and many more unanswered questions still linger in the minds of these survivors of caste conflicts." Raj Bharat Patta -- Cynthia Stephen Independent Writer and Researcher And may you be blessed with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world, so that you will do things which others tell you cannot be done "Every budding dictatorship begins by muzzling the artists, because they're a mouthy lot and they don't line up and salute very easily." Margaret Atwood : Canadian Literary Icon. -- Ranjit --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
