Odisha Christians demand proper compensation

(September 14, 2012) The victims of the 2008 anti-Christian violence in eastern India’s Odisha state have demanded the formation of a task force to ensure they are compensated properly. Fr. Dibya Parichha, secretary of justice, peace and human rights and John Dayal, member of the National Integration Council on Thursday submitted a memorandum in this regard to Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. The previous day they had met Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and Wajahat Habibullah, chairperson for National Commission for Minorities, with their demands. The memorandum listed shortcomings in compensation, rehabilitation, employment and justice delivery to the affected people, especially in Kandhamal district, the epicentre of the violence. “Victims suffer from the miscarriage of justice even four years after the violence,” it said, adding that even the centre’s employment scheme is not implemented properly. The victims asked the NHRC to direct the state government to set up a task force for comprehensive action to help them. The memorandum lamented the district administration’s apathy even in counting deaths. Names of 27 people who died because of the outbreak of cholera, dysentery, and malaria in the relief camps have not been included in the official list of deaths for compensation. The survey list of the state government for compensation for homes damaged during the communal violence 2008 is not accurate as hundreds of families who lost their homes were not registered, it alleged. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 victims are still living outside their respective villages in other districts of the state or migrated to states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The Kandhamal violence killed 90 people, rendered 55,000 Christians homeless. The attackers looted 5,600 homes in 415 villages.