Right-wing Hindu groups have been held responsible for the series of church attacks in Dakshina Kannada and adjoin districts of Karnataka in the month of September 2008.

Once again ascertaining the growth of Hindu fundamentalism in the BJP-ruled state, the interim report of Justice Somasekhara Commission held Bajarang Dal, Sri Rama Sene and VHP accountable for attacking churches and prayer halls.

Justice Somasekhara Commission was instituted by the government to inquire into the sequence of events and circumstances that led to the attack on churches.

The report, submitted Monday to the state government, censured police officers and district administration for 'colluding' with Hindu extremists, directly or indirectly leading the assault.

"Under guise of preventing Christian protesters, police exceeded powers in ‘lathi’ charge and bursting tear shells. Innocent people like children and women were also victimized unjustifiable," stated the report. "District administration misused power and harmed innocent individuals, assaulting them and damaging their property sometimes resulting in incidents of fire."

It added that the “attacks on churches or places of worship has deeply affected the harmony between the members of Hindu and Christian religions and created suspicion in the minds of each other.”

Justice Somasekhara has made several suggestions to the government, including compensation for the damages to the property, and criminal cases registered against all persons or institutions in regards to the violence be withdrawn.

"Compensation for all claims for damages to the property or injury to any person during the incidents and thereafter shall be inquired and paid within one month from the date of communication of the recommendation," the former High Court judge said.

He also recommended the government to ensure "protection to all religions and their institutions, particularly in the affected districts especially to minority religions."

As a first measure, he says, the government should convince the affected Christian institutions and persons that it shares their miseries and sentiments suffered due to unpleasant incidents of attacks in all forms with sympathy, compassion, and concern.

In addition, he urges the state to take all measures to ensure fundamental rights for freedom of conscience and free profession and propagation of religion within the meaning of Article 25 of the constitution of India in letter and spirit.

He further recommends "all communal organizations in whatever name or form preaching or practicing any activity against any religion in any form be banned."

On charges of conversions by Christians, the commission said that there were indications of massive conversions to Christianity by circumstances, but not by compulsion. They were only conversions of faith and not of religion in a legal or technical sense, the report said.

Meanwhile, Christian leaders in Mangalore submitted a memorandum to Justice Somasekhara appealing for “protection to our various religious, charitable, medical and educational institutions” and also to “apprehend the people behind the attack for which we will be thankful to your good selves.”

"With great disillusionment we are making this representation regarding the treatment being meted out to the members of our community in our district and in spite of several representations and requests we are being repeatedly targeted and our religious places are vandalized by some hardcore fundamentalists without fear of any punishment," said the memorandum, as quoted by Mangalorean.

“We do not want any such incidents to occur since it will leave a trail of violence and destruction which we want to avoid at any costs. Our religious feelings have been trampled once again, we were made to feel like outsiders in our own land and we have not yet come out of its shock. We will not be able to withstand such humiliation and disgrace once more. Hence before any such incidents happen we need to be protected and proper precautionary and preventive measures needs to be taken,” it added.

By: Dibin Samuel
Source: Christian Today India
Date: February 2, 2010

The Independent Church of India (ICI), founded by pioneer missionary Watkin R Roberts, began a four-day Gospel Centenary Celebration to mark its 100th anniversary.

More than 20,000 people including delegates and church leaders from India as well as foreign countries will attend the Feb. 4 - 7 event.

A press release of the Committee stated that the year 2010 is the 100th year of the coming of the Gospel to South Manipur for the Hmar tribe and other allied churches in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Chief Minister O Ibobi and Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing will be the chief guest and the guest of honour respectively.

The arrival of Watkin Roberts and the three missionaries from the state of Mizoram namely, Savawma, Thangchhingpuia and Vanzika on May 7, 1910, had ushered the age of Gospel among the tribal groups in South Manipur.

Within a few years the North East India General Mission was founded and it vigorously began taking up the task of propagating the Good News among Manipur's fierce tribal groups.

Today the region of Southern Manipur has one of the highest concentrations of Christians in the whole of India. Many churches and denominations have sprung up over the years.

A major Gospel Centenary Celebration is planned to be held at Public Ground, Lamka, Churachandpur on May 5, 2010.

By: John Malhotra
Source: Christian Today India
Date: February 5, 2010

A European Union (EU) delegation Thursday visited Kandhamal and assessed the ground situation amidst tight security.

The 11-member delegation interacted with government officials, Christian leaders and social activists as they toured the district reviewing the developmental activities and rehabilitation measures taken by the government.

Kandhamal witnessed widespread violence after the murder of Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23, 2008. More than 50,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs.

Led by EU's counsellor (head of political affairs) Christophe Manet, the EU delegation visited several of the riot-affected areas and interacted with victims hearing from them their struggles and resistance.

"Events in Kandhamal had its impact in Europe. Our visit is a reflection of the concern," a member of the team told mediapersons in Bhubaneswar.

The diplomatic delegation hailed the police for ensuring peaceful Christmas celebration for the past two years even as sporadic violence continued.

“The EU diplomats thanked the state for peaceful celebration of Christmas and New Year’s Day in Kandhamal and other places,” DGP M M Praharaj said on Wednesday.

On Thursday, media reported that the delegates visited a rehabilitation camp in G. Udaygiri area where the victims welcomed them with flower petals and drumbeats.

Many in the camp reportedly sought adequate security to return to their villages and also for education and job facilities for their families.

“We are happy that the district administration has provided four decimals of land for building homes. We have also been provided with house building assistance from the state. But we do not have any job to sustain us,” a 35-year-old victim was quoted by The Telegraph saying.

“We expect positive results. Rehabilitation work may be expedited now that a team from Europe has come to see us,” hoped Pramila Naik, one among 55 families of riot victims who refused to go back to their villages for fear of violence from Hindus.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) plans to allocate 15 million EURO for rehabilitation of riot-hit families in Kandhamal district.

“Our nations are keen to know about the prevailing situation in the riot-torn district before releasing the amount. Our main objective behind our visit to Kandhamal is to find out if the district has achieved stability so far with restoration of normalcy”, the EU delegation told reporters.

By: Dibin Samuel
Source: Christian Today India
Date: February 5, 2010

Bhubaneswar: Police arrested five activists of Bajrang Dal for staging protest during the arrival of the European Union diplomats at Bhubaneswar airport on Tuesday evening.

The 11-member EU delegation is slated to visit the riot-torn Kandhamal district on Thursday to interact with the riot victims.

But the VHP and Bajrang Dal (youth wing of VHP) are in no mood to see the presence of the foreign diplomats at the sensitive zone saying that the tour could trigger fresh tension in the district.

They had even threatened to protest during the arrival of the EU team in Orissa and demanded that the government should scrap the permission given to the diplomats to visit Kandhamal. 
      
Maintaining that peace had returned to the tribal dominated district after prolonged violence following the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Swaraswati, VHP leaders said the visit would only spark off fresh tension in the region.

The diplomats, who belonged to Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Poland and Hungary, were whisked away from the airport to their hotel amid tight security. Apart from visiting Kandhamal, the diplomats are slated to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, State Chief Secretary T K Mishra and Home Secretary A P Padhy and DGP Manmohan Praharaj.

Security would be beefed up during the team's proposed visit to Kandhamal on Thursday. "We would arrange better security for the EU team during their visit to Kandhamal," Kandhamal district collector, Dr Krishna Kumar said.

Riots erupted in the aftermath of VHP leader Laxmananada Saraswati's assassination on August 23, 2008 in Kandhamal. While nearly 38 people were killed, a number of houses damaged during the peak of communal strife in the district.

Source : OTV Bureau
Date : Feb 02, 2010

Nine people were Wednesday convicted and each sentenced to four years in jail by a fast track court in Orissa for their role in a case of arson during the Kandhamal violence in 2008.