By Tehmina Arora
New Delhi: Most Indian Christians would like to forget the first large-scale violence against their community in their country’s modern history – the mayhem in the Kandhamal district of Odisha state in 2008. Sadly, we have no choice but to observe the Kandhamal Remembrance Week from August 25 to September 2, to mark Kandhamal riot’s tenth year.
As we continue to pray for a peaceful India and cordial co-existence among all Indians with our different cultures, beliefs, and habits, let me recall what happened 10 years ago so that it does not occur again.
The murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati by Maoists on August 24, 2008, led mobs to brutally attack Christians, their homes, and churches. More than 100 people were killed and 40 women sexually assaulted. More than 50,000 people were forced to flee their homes and villages and escape into forests and relief camps. Over 8,000 homes were looted and burnt and 300 churches demolished. Education of about 12,000 children was disrupted.
As a young lawyer, at that time, I found being called upon to provide much-needed solace to the helpless victims and their families. So, with the assistance of several organizations, the Odisha Legal Aid Centre was established. Resources were limited, but the dedicated group of lawyers and activists made up for it.
As we traveled from village to village visiting relief camps we heard horrific incidents of violence — mobs butchering people and torching homes with people inside. A pregnant woman ran for her life in the forest, delivering a premature baby girl cutting the umbilical cord with a stone.
As months passed by, our team joined other agencies to file cases, apply for compensation for the victims and assist the prosecution. We managed to file more than 200 cases before various district courts, the Odisha High Court at Cuttack and the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi.
The team achieved a key victory by securing the first life imprisonment for members of the mob that killed Pastor Akbar Digal. However, despite our best efforts, our ability to get justice for the victims was much limited.
In 2016 the Supreme Court awarded enhanced compensation in a case filed by late Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, who headed the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese at the time of the mayhem. An affidavit filed on behalf of the Odisha government disclosed that out of 827 registered cases, only 512 cases resulted in the filing of charge-sheets. In other words, in 315 cases no offense was found or the offenders could be detected. The State could look into all these cases to bring the offenders to book. Similarly, out of 362 completed trials only 78 resulted in conviction, which is a matter of concern. The concerned authorities must see to it that the matters are taken up wherever acquittals were not justified on facts.
The Supreme Court recognized the laps and ordered additional compensation to each victim. However, in spite of these directions being given in 2016, the compensation was not released to the victims until a series of petitions were filed by ADF India attorney and director of the Odisha Legal Aid Center, Pratap Chhinchani and others. In March this year, the Odisha state finally released 1.3 million rupees to the district authorities of Kandhamal to disburse to the victims. Finally, ten years after the violence, the Kandhamal survivors received compensation due to them.
And at this tenth-year commemoration, there are many pertinent lessons to learn, given the frequency and intensity of sectarian violence we experience in India. Over the last few years, we have witnessed a sharp increase in the communal targeted violence.
According to data presented in Parliament by the Ministry of Home Affairs, communal incidents increased 28 percent over the last three years and 822 “incidents” were recorded in 2017, which led to as many as 111 people being killed and 2,384 others were injured. In violence against the Christian minority community, faith-based human right organizations recorded more than 800 incidents in the past four years. At least 16 of India’s 29 states witness regular attacks on Christians. The states of Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh accounted for over 50 percent of the incidents recorded.
There is an urgent need to take steps to strengthen human rights monitoring mechanisms, including the National Commission for Minorities and the National Human Rights Commission. Implementation of a process of educating and training the rights of religious minorities to police and judicial officials have become essential.
In January 2015, the United Christian Forum launched a Toll-Free Helpline number: 1-800-208-4545. One could contact this number in case of an attack on church, prayer meeting or a convention. Group of Christian lawyers and influential people connected to Alliance Defending Freedom , Christian Legal Association, Evangelical Fellowship of India, and UCF are there for immediate help.
Churches must also try to create opportunities for the body of Christ to work on common events that concern the larger common good. Far too often, divisive politics drives Christians into silos. We must resist that temptation and embrace our larger and common identities to forge new relationships with our fellow citizens.
(Mrs. Tehmina Arora, is the director of Alliance Defending Freedom – India, is an attorney practicing in the area of constitutional law and human rights with a special emphasis on minority rights. Based in New Delhi, India, she also serves as a legal consultant to ADF International.)