MIDIAKIA-29TH JULY-
Minoketan (MIchael) Nayak of village Midiakia-Kutipada
(Baliguda, Kandhamal) was a pastor belonging to the Kandhamal Union of
Baptist Churches. He was also a leader of christian community. He was
about 40 years of age.  read more »

by Nirmala Carvalho
Michael Digal testified in court in a case connected with the 2008 anti-Christian violence. After purging his sentence, a fundamentalist enticed the victim into a trap and killed him. The Global Council of India Christians calls on the authorities to protect pogrom witnesses.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Michael Digal was killed for revenge. The Christian leader and activist testified against Hindu radicals after the Kandhamal pogroms, this according to investigators who are probing his death. Initially, state police had ruled his death accidental before the autopsy report was completed. The decomposing body of the 43-year-old man was found on Wednesday(27.07.11) near Baliguda Block, Kandhamal District (Orissa), three days after he went missing, near Mdikia (see “Christian leaded found dead in Kandhamal, Sajan George accuses Hindu radicals,” in AsiaNews, 28 July 2011). It was later moved to the government hospital in Baliguda, where a post-mortem was conducted yesterday.  read more »

Dr. H.T.SANGLIANA DO.NO.05/VC/HTS/112/NCM-2010
Vice – Chairperson NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MINORITIES
Government of India
Lok Nayak Bhawan, 5th Floor
Khan Market, New Delhi-110 003

Dear Shri Patnaikji,

Sub: Visit to Orissa by the Hon’ble Vice Chairperson, Dr. H.T. Sanglian from 13th -16th September, 2010

This is to express sincere appreciation of the National Commission for Minorities for protocol arrangement, meetings and action taken report presented during the visit to Orissa b y the Hon’ble Vice Chairperson, Dr. H.T. Sangliana. The efforts made by the Orissa government for rehabilitation of the victims of violence in 2007-08 are appreciated. However, further action is required on the part of the State government on the following points:  read more »

Banja Maha( Nugaau- Raikia)The Orissa police have detained two persons , Mard-Shimeyal Pradhan and Biju Malick,suspected of being the killers of Pastor Saul Pradhan, in the district of Kandhamal. The area has become notorious for anti-Christian pogrom in 2008. The two detained are Marda Pradhan and Baiju Mallick members of a radical Hindu group. They were the last to be seen together with the pastor Saul Pradhan.  read more »

Kandhamal-( Orissa) 83-year-old man was denied cremation by Hindu radicals because of his association with Christians.

“These are blatant violations of constitutional rights. No citizen should be discriminated on the ground of religion or caste,” Father Santosh Digal, who looks after social communications in Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese, said.  read more »

Sep 30,2010
Phulbani (Orissa), Sept 30 -A local court here today sentenced 15 people to three-years rigorous imprisonment after finding them guilty in setting fire on houses of minorities during communal riot in Kandhamal district in 2008. The punishment was pronounced by Fast Track Court-II Judge C R Das while disposing a house burning incident which took place at Saudikia village under Baliguda police station area on September 26, 2008. The court had earlier convicted all the 15 people in the house burning case, said government pleader Pratap Kumar Patra  read more »