Dear Friend,
You might be aware of that Ninth National Convention of All India Secular Forum is going on in Bhubaneswar only, which began on 20th January and will conclude at 6 PM on 21st Jan. The Convention will honor the representatives of three villages and four individuals from Kandhamal in its Concluding Session at 2.45 PM for their efforts to sustain peace, harmony and security in their village/to save the lives of the minorities during Kandhamal violence. The Villages are: *Gundani:* Both Hindus and Christian villagers collectively resolved not to allow any violence in their village and they resisted the entry of fascists and communally instigated mobs into their villages. At the same time the surrounding villages had witnessed worst kind of violence on Christians. Till now they could be able to maintain unity, peace and communal harmony successfully. *Rutungia:* Another village Rutungia, the villagers, both Hindus and Christians unitedly prevented communal forces to create any violence in their village. They also protected all the Hindu and Christian students of the residential school situated in the village. *Rudangia:* The villagers strongly resisted the repeated attacks of the communal forces till the September end. Finally they had to succumb before the communally charged and armed mob in spite of assurances by the SP and Collector for security. The Individuals are: *Late Siddheswar Pradhan,* an Adivasi Hindu, a leader of Sulesuru village who resisted the violent mob that came to attack his Christian neighbors during 2007 and succeeded in protecting his fellow Christian villagers. During 2008-09 violence he also tried his best to resist the mob and helped some of his Christian neighbors to save their lives. But, the communal fascists killed him there itself. He became a martyr for communal harmony and peace. He will be honored posthumously. *Late Dasarath Pradhan,* another Hindu Adivasi martyr of Tiangia village killed on 25th August by communal forces will be honored posthumously, because he tried his level best to resist the communal fascists on 25thAugust 2008, who had killed 5 of his Christian neighbors. *Satyabhama Pradhan,* an Adivasi Hindu woman of Mundasahi near Baliguda, gave shelter to children, women and nuns being chased away by a violent mob for seven days and convinced her relatives and neighbors to support her in her effort. *Kanta (not real name)* a young Hindu Dalit girl from Kotagarh who came to help her maternal grand parents (Christians) in Tikabali who were not able to leave the village with other Christian neighbors after attacked and chased away by mobs; was brutally raped by a group of anti-social and communally brain-washed people. In this session, the Speakers will include � 1. Shri Rabi Das, Senior Journalist, Orissa 1. Dr.Asgar Ali Engineer, Founder Convenor, All India Secular Forum 2. Sri L. S..Hardenia, Convenor, All India Secular Forum 3. Sri Sudhir Patnaik, Editor, Samadrusti 4. Dr.Ram Puniyani, Member, Convening Committee, All India Secular Forum On behalf of the Organisers of the Reception Committee, I would like invite you to the Concluding Session at 2.30 am on 21st. The venue of the Convention is at Sri Guru Kalyan Mandap, Near Mayfair Lagoon Hotel, Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar. Waiting for your kind presence, Regards, Dhirendra
