Archbishop Cheenath Calls For Full Reconciliation In Kandhamal Through Justice

BHUBANESWAR, Orissa, Feb. 09, 2010, 09.40 Hrs (SAR News):

Divine Word Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar has said that despite the claims of the Orissa state government and the district administrations concerned, the human dignity, rights and life of the Christian victims of the 2008 violence, mainly in Kandhamal district, remained far from normal.

In a press statement released here February 6, the archbishop said fifteen months after the Christian tribals were uprooted from their habitats and thousand still lived in makeshift shanties along roads and in forests with no seeming hope of rehabilitation.

They are harassed daily by block and panchayat officials and the police, the prelate said adding that hundreds of babies had been born in these appalling conditions.

“We want full reconciliation and lasting peace in Kandhamal which will be possible when justice is transparent, lives are rebuilt and people return to their own villages without fear. We do not want any ghettoisation in the district.”

He faulted the attitude of the authorities on three major issues – the criminal justice dispensation system in the fast track courts which was being subverted by terrorising of witnesses and shoddy investigations; the utter inadequacy of government assistance in rebuilding houses, and the absence of genuine employment, livelihood and education schemes.

The present district collector was on duty and present at the spot with direct general police and top police officers when the violence started, and the mob attacked the Phulbani Church in the district headquarters.

The Church, which had not received any assistance in rebuilding its places of worship and social development institutions, had extended great help, but the task was far too big for non-government organisations. “It needs political will to implement special schemes by the government. We are willing to help to the best of our ability and resources,” he assured the government. But, he said, he would have no hesitation in again approaching the Orissa High Court at Cuttack and the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi if the misery of the people was not ameliorated.

“They cannot be allowed to live through another summer and monsoons without a shelter over their heads. The victims need sympathy, but the administration is raising all sorts of rules and regulations in the matter of relief and rehabilitation. Various human rights groups have warned of trafficking of young girls of the district,” he said.

Initially, nearly 11,000 families were displaced from their homes by the violence. An estimated 1,200 families have migrated from the immediate area, many of them to Bhubaneswar or to other states in the country.

Over 6,000 refugees are living in the Saliasahi slums of Bhubaneswar, the State capital, and tens of thousands are working as labour in Andhra Pradesh and other states such as Kerala and Punjab. As many as 200-300 families continue to reside in private displacement camps in the district. At least 4,400 families continue to live in tents, makeshift shelters or the remnants of their damaged houses.

The remainder of families have returned either to their villages or near their villages. The number of people who have received financial assistance from the government or the Church or NGOs is not known for certain, but is believed to be 1,100.

“The Dalit Christians remain the worst sufferers and have been denied employment, land and other entitlements. The state government’s schemes announced by the chief minister must embrace all communities. This is so even in the employment of Special Police Offices,” he said.

The district collector has no hope to offer to the Dalits.

In the violence between August 25 and December 31, 2008, as many as 5,347 houses were looted and destroyed by fire, many women and girls were raped, and more than 75 people were murdered in the name of religion and ethnicity. Large-scale displacement and migrations followed with over 54,000 people becoming refugees in their own motherland, the statement said.

The administration arbitrarily fixed Rs 50,000 for fully destroyed houses, even though the reconstruction cost of even a simple house was from Rs 85,000 upwards. The administration also arbitrarily designated fully destroyed houses in the partially damaged category with much lower relief. Most houses are indeed fully damaged and we want the administration to give full compensation, Archbishop Cheenath said.

He said the Church was demanding a special investigation team to investigate every case of murder and arson. Similarly, there is also need for transferring the cases against politically powerful persons such as Manoj Pradhan, MLA, to outside Kandhamal, preferably to Cuttack or Bhubaneswar.

“We are deeply concerned at the high rate of acquittals in the fast track courts. The victims filed 3,232 complaints in the police stations of Kandhamal. Of these, the police registered cases in only 832 instances. As many as 341 cases were in G. Udaigiri alone, 98 in Tikabali and 90 in Raikia, followed by the others.

“Even out of this small number, only 123 cases were transferred to the two fast track courts. So far, 71 cases have been tried in the two courts, and 63 cases have been disposed of. Of these, conviction is only in 25 cases, and even that is partial as most of the accused have not been arrested or brought to trial. Only 89 persons have been convicted so far while as many as 251 have been acquitted and set free for want to witnesses against them.

“Among them is Manoj Pradhan. It is strange that in the case of ten deaths by murder, nine cases have been closed without anybody being convicted while there has been partial conviction in the case of one death. Who will bring justice in the case of the nine murder cases,” the prelate asked.

He sought independent lawyers be deal with the special public prosecutors who are overworked. The witnesses and the victims need full legal help so that the cases can be pursued with vigour and justice is available, he said.

He also sought better compensation package, employment and solution to the land issue.