NGO agrees to provide free legal aid to Orissa’s Kandhamal victims

(June 22, 2009) Human Rights Law Network, HRLN, an Indian non-governmental organization on Friday agreed with the All India Christian Council, AICC, to provide free legal aid to the victims of anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal district of Orissa state. After talks with AICC delegates, the NGO informed the press that along with the free legal aid, it was planning to usher in efforts to bring back long term communal harmony in Orissa’s Gajapati district as well. According to the AICC, in Gajapati district alone 337 families lost their homes or businesses. It said that while Kandhamal remained the epicenter of riots, Gajapati recorded the largest number of crimes against Christians in the state. HRLN is a net work of social activists and lawyers says that according to a survey conducted by the Gajapati United Christian Forum about 320 houses, 20 churches and 19 businesses destroyed and so the NGO is planning to provide a legal aid of 1-2 years estimating about 700 families affected in Gajapati district alone.