Nandagiri-Kandhamal
-28th September-2011

TO

Justice K.G.BALAKRISHNAN
CHAIRPERSON
NHRC
NEW DELHI

Honourable Justice ,

We are once again approaching NHRC with a plea for your sympathetic consideration of the severe violation of Human rights and natural justice in Kandhamal, Orissa.We appeal to you to consider the helpless cries of hundreds of victims of hatred and government apathy assembled here at Nandagiri on 28/09/11, the occasion of “THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF MARTYDOM OF CHRISTIANS IN KANDHAMAL”

NANDAGIRI -ORISSA – A TEST OF GOVERNMENT’S ABILITY TO DELIVER JUSTICE
In our interactions with the victims of violence in Kandhamal today at Nandagiri, It has been startling to note the pathetic condition most of them live in, even after three years of martyrdom of over 100 christians. The right to legal representation is still a fairly recent concept in Kandhamal. Many police stations where complaints of [forced] conversions have been lodged against Christians, when questioned about why they were acting on frivolous complaints, revealed that they had orders from above that Christians who are dragged to the police station under false allegations should immediately be locked up, beaten up and denied bail by the lower judiciary, which functions as the loyal partner of the police department. Sometimes this injustice may be visible like the tip of an iceberg, but most of the time it would be invisible to an inexperienced eye. Hence, the injustice prevails, both in letter and spirit.
Thus Kandhamal has become a test case for criminal justice, not just of the ability of the government to dismantle radical criminal gangs, but of its ability to uphold citizens’ rights (Christian) while doing so. Below are some facts of the tragedy that continues to unfold in Kandhamal to this day.

1. Mysterious deaths/murders: Baliguda, Kandhamal, Orissa – (27-07-2011): The body of Minoketan Nayak, a 43 year old Christian - pastor, was found. He was forced to accompany two persons the previous evening, He belonged to Midiakia, a village coming under the Baliguda Block of Kandhamal District in Orissa.

2- Failiure to arrest of the murderers of Pastor Saul Pradhan.Pastor Sula Pradhan of village Banjamaha, Raikia, was murdered on 10/01/11

3. Inadequate compensation has been granted to the riot affected and arbitrary and irrational methodology has been employed in selecting the recipients and assessing the damage to private and public properties. It indicates that the State Govt. has miserably failed in restoration and rehabilitation activities aimed at the communal violence affected victims of 2007 & 2008 in Kandhamal. Many of the victims have not been enlisted for compensation.

4. The Catholic Christian community of village Bakingia (Raikia) had a village church which was completely destroyed during the riots. They had begun to rebuild their church on the patta land of the church. But since the fanatic Hindus of the village have been threatening the Catholic community, they have been unable to continue rebuilding their church.
5- Snehalata Behera, aged about 26 years, belonging to Luhapanga village in Khajuripada block, became a widow about 4 months ago. She has been denied the social security insurance grant of Rs.10,000/- and the widow pension, because she has no BPL card. She and her mother-in-law have met with the sub-collector and the collector more than three times. Yet no relief has come to her till today. Her mother-in-law had been visiting the office of the collector, the sub collector and the BDO, the Tehsildar for a BPL card, homestead-land. She has become a beggar along with her two little daughters.
Indira Awas/mo kudia has been denied, pension due to the aged also have been denied to her parents in law.
These are just a few examples to show that the various administrative departments’ attitude towards Christians in Kandhamal.
Hence GCIC demands that a door-to-door survey be held in all the 12 blocks in order to ascertain the details about all the victims and the extent of damage and destruction they were subjected to. This work may be undertaken along with the representatives of the civil society and GCIC is prepared to join hands in this venture for the amelioration of the suffering riot victims.
1. The young children, the unfortunate widows and all those who are still being haunted by the painful and terrible memories of the communal riots, may perhaps need Trauma Counselling so that they can be suitably prepared to look forward to a life of peace, harmony and hope in their hearts for their future. Various educational institutions and churches may be made use of for that work.
2. A survey has shown that over 2000 children have been forced to discontinue their education. The government should spell out ways and means to tackle this problem.
3. The economic situation of practically all the victims is still very bad in Kandhamal, and among many it is still quite difficult to make both ends meet. It is difficult for some families even to have a square meal per day. Hence, free/subsidized rationing for the victims should be resumed in Kandhamal at the earliest.
4. Socio-economic boycott is playing havoc in the lives of the victims of Kandhamal riots and it is affecting the normal life of the Christian minority in the region, while also bringing a bad name to our country in the world as even the smallest ripple today can have its impact anywhere in the world because of the advancement in the means of communication. Hence, strict measures must be taken both by the State as well as the Central Governments to put an end to these inhuman and barbaric methods of taking revenge against enemies.
5. Even almost after three years now, the process of building houses etc. is still going on in different parts of the Kandhamal district at a snail’s pace due to a number of factors, and one of the them being the shortage of building materials with their ever escalating prices. Therefore, the State Civil Supplies Corporation should ensure continued supply of building material with subsidized rates for these riot victims.
6. Agricultural lands gone, business establishments destroyed, and with anger and hatred still lingering in the hearts of the members of the major communities in Kandhamal, the riot victims find it very difficult to earn their livelihood. In order to save these helpless people from sinking further into greater poverty and more suffering, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme must be strictly implemented in Kandhamal and regular and steady wages must be ensured to them.
7. As inflation in the country is affecting practically all parts of the country, the only saving factor for the marginalized sections of the society in India today is the precious BPL card. These BPL cards must be made available to all the eligible poor victims of communal riots in Kandhamal. Presently BPL cards or many of the affected have been withdrawn.
When the demented crowds attacked the Christians and destroyed their houses along with their belongings, most of the victims found shelter in the distant jungles and saved themselves from death. They ran away to those forests practically leaving everything behind since it was a matter of life and death for them. Most of them lost all identification cards for widow pension, old age pension and even the very voter identity cards. When they came back after prolonged periods of time, quite a number among them also lost the place where the house was situated along with the other pieces of land along with all their documents. Special arrangements must be made to issue all such cards to those victims who are eligible.
The economic boycott is bleeding the Christians and they are not able to undertake the reconstruction of houses/churches damaged during racial attacks in Kandhamal. The Orissa state government should rebuild the houses. Village Bodimunda is a typical example of socio-economic boycott of christians.
8 The judicial system in Kandhamal has failed miserably for whatever apparent reasons there may be. We are also sure that in the future too justice will continue to elude these poor victims. Hence, the GCIC fervently appeals to the honourable Supreme Court of India to formulate a new system of judicial measures specifically meant for the victims of Kandhamal so that real justice may be done to them.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Sajan George,President of GCIC and Hundreds of victims of bigotry and government apathy,
For the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC)

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