By Udayanath Bishoyi
G Udayagiri: More than 5,000 people on August 26 attended the ninth anniversary of Kandhamal anti-Christian persecution.
“Kandhamal violence was the largest well-planned attack on Christians in last 300 years in terms of its scale, nature, and motif of damage and loss of human levies,” said Sarada Singh, a social activist, while addressing a mass gathering G. Udayagiri, a town in Kandhamal district, Odisha, eastern India.
The mayhem of 2008 was not communal violence in any case. It was a one sided attack on Christians. “If it was communal violence then two parties would have engaged with, which was not the case,” he added.
Singh urged the gathering to work for justice for people who suffered in Kandhamal violence. “If we are afraid, then we are cowards. Let us continue to struggle for our justice,” he said.
Another speaker, Ramkrushna Panda, a human rights activist, said the event was to push for justice for the innocent victims of Kandhamal, who suffered the most.
“A few selfish groups linked with Hindu nationalist organizations stirred the cauldron of violence in Kandhamal for their selfishness gains. Today India’s fate is leading to an anti-social, anti-democratic, anti-poor and anti-human dignity landscape. Let us continue to uphold Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ideals of equality and dignity for the same of common good, prosperity, and secularism,” Panda said.
Amiya Pandab a journalist, said it was shameful that the victims of Kandhamal violence have not got due justice even after nine years.
The program started with people submitting their memorandum to the local government.
“Kandhamal attack was a planned one by the Hindu fundamentalist groups in nexus with political parties.
The Constitution has given us the right to freedom of religion. Let us fight for our fundamental rights and justice. Our struggle for justice should go on,” said Jacob Pradhan, a member of Odisha Legislative Assembly and a Christian who hails from Kandhamal.
“Kandhamal struggle for justice is to become a national struggle for justice. Social educational and exploitation in every category have to be contested. Post-Gujarat of 2002 effect was to carry out in other states but now Kandhamal struggle has inspired other States,” said From Goldie George from Chhattisgarh.