Odisha bishops agree to declare Kandhamal Martyrs’ Day

Odisha Bishops decided to declare a day in the month of August every year in honour of Kandhamal Martyrs.

Five bishops of Odisha, eastern India—Sambalpur, Berhampur, Rourkela, Balasore and Cuttack-Bhubaneswar—in their annual meeting of Odisha Catholic Regional Council (OCBC), agreed to dedicate a day every year in the month of August from next year onwards as “Kandhamal Martyrs Day,” said Archbishop John Barwa SVD, OCBC chairman and Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, that covers Kandhamal, the epicenter of communal violence in 2007 and 2008.

The meetings took place at Bishops’ House, Sambalpur, western Odisha (formerly Orissa), August 31, 2015. Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of Berhampur said that the price paid by those people who were killed during the anti-Christian persecution in 2008 derive our pledge honor, respect and recognized, who died for the sake of their Christian faith and witnessing Christ.

Bishop Simon Kaipuram CM of Balasore diocese and OCBC secretary, said, “We may later request Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), episcopal body of the Catholic bishops of India, and the fourth largest episcopal body in the Catholic Church, declare Kandhamal Martyrs’ day at an all India level.

The exact date to be designated in the month of August has to be ascertained after due consultation with many stakeholders, said Archbisop Barwa.

Many welcomed the move deceided by Odisha Bishops. One of them was a leading lay leader, who has been speaking about Kandhamal in different fora for years. “I welcome this decision. We must begin work to see that the dead of Kandhamal 2008 are declared Martyrs to the Faith. Their mass murder builds them a place in the heart of every Christian in India,” said  Dr. John Dayal, the general secretary of the All India Christian Council (AICC) and a member of the Indian government’s National Integration Council.

On the same day (August 31), “Kandhamal Nyaya Shanti O Sadbhabana Samaj” the survivors’ association of Kandhamal violence observed Kandhamal Day to preserve the need for peace, justice and harmony on the completion of seven years of anti-Christian minority violence in Kandhamal, at Raikia, a town in Kandhamal district.

Mr Mani Sankar Aiyar, Hon’ble Former Union Minister, Government of India, New Delhi, Mrs. Brinda Karat, General secretary, All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and Hon’ble Rajya Sabha Member, CPI (M), and Ms Kavita Krishnan, Hon’ble Secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA), New Delhi also editor of 'Liberation', the monthly publication addressed the public meeting along with many others from Odisha, said Adikanda Singh, a human rights activist.

“It is important for the community and indeed for civil society in India that we remember Kandhamal. It is the most vicious attack Christians have faced in India in centuries. It is one of the biggest displacement in communally targeted violence since Partition (India-Pakistan in 1947) of India. And the victims have been betrayed by the criminal justice system,” said Dr. Dayal, senior journalist and human rights activist.

The 25 August 2008 was the biggest communal violence, after Gujarat-2002, was in Kandhamal in the eastern state of Odisha (formerly known as Orissa). More than 350 churches and places of worship which belonged to the Adivasi Christians and Dalit Christians were destroyed, around 6,500 houses were destroyed, over 90 people were killed, over 40 women were subjected to rape, molestation and humiliation and several educational, social service and health institutions were destroyed and looted.

More than 56,000 people have been displaced. Several cases of forced conversion to Hinduism by the Sangh Parivar have been reported. This organized communal attack which was the biggest on the history of Christian community during the last three centuries, also spread to different parts of Odisha and other states as well. It is a matter of shame that the relief and compensation provided by the Government for the victims and survivors of Kandhamal have been minimal.

During the communal violence in Kandhamal, there have been more than 3,300 complaints, but only 820 odd FIRs were registered. The rest of the complaints were not even registered. Among these complaints, only 518 cases charge sheeted. The remaining cases were treated as false reports. And out of these 518 cases, 247 cases disposed off. The rest of the cases are pending before the sessions and magistrate’s courts. And among those cases which have been disposed off, many are already acquitted. In short, all the murderers, rapists, looters and destroyers are today running scot free. However, several innocent persons are in jail today with fabricated cases including the seven persons from minority community falsely implicated in different cases and many innocent people have been charged with various false cases under various draconian laws such as UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act).  (Santhosh Digal)