Christian Subversion And Missionary Activities - 3

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<b>PRESS RELEASE</b>

Evil intention of foreign funded Organsations and Church establishments to get more funds is the main cause of disturbance in Kandhamal (Orissa)

New Delhi, January 08, 2008 -

A four-member delegation representing the Kandhmal (Orissa) tribals and other Hindus affected by the recent murderous Christian attacks met Her Excellency the President of India today and submitted a Memorandum that demanded that -

1. Government of India should check foreign funding to the NGOs and Church establishments and frame laws to scrutinize the activities of these organizations;

2. To protect all the rights and facilities provided to the SCs (Scheduled Castes) and STs (Scheduled Tribes) and to prevent others (non-SCs & non-STs including convertees) from taking away those facilities by fraud;

3. Duly check and audit their such income and expenditure profiles and seize and confiscate their accounts wherever those may be in existence;

4. ‘Propagation of Religion’ does not mean the ‘right to convert’. Therefore, all conversion activities, that undermine the holistic indigenous culture and religious traditions and work against the unity of the people by breeding disaffection amongst them and threaten the integrity of the country, must be banned;

5. To arrest, prosecute and punish those offenders and their accomplices who murdered an innocent person and made an attempt on the life of HH Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and torched the houses of Hindus.

6. Let a Central Law be made to prohibit conversions by force, allurement and fraudulent means presently going on in Bharat.

7. Restrain those that converted to Christianity from being declared as ST.

Addressing a Press Conference, they said: "...The incidents that happened in Kandhamal district of Orissa were unfortunate. We are very much worried about the life and property of the minority Hindu community of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district who were very much affected by the recent violence.

The most dangerous facts which comes out of the analysis of the incidents happened during this period indicates the aggressive attitude and evil design of the converted Pano Christans motivated by Church and other Christian Organisation like YMCA, World Vision, Phulbani, Jan Kalyan Sabha etc. You can better understand from the following instances:

1. Brahmanigaon :

Conflict started at Brahmanigaon on 20th December 2007 as the Church people with the local Christians constructed a huge gate covering the main road and a portion of the Durga Puja Mandap. When prevented by the local public on 23rd Christians started beating and even dishonor the peace meeting of the administration.

2. Attack on Swami Laxmananda Saraswatiji Maharaj:

Fatal attack on Swami Laxmananda Saraswatiji, his driver, security and his associates obstructing his vehicle on way to Bramhanigaon at Darsingbadi by a group of armed Christians on 24th December 2007

Barakhama killing of Khageswar Mallick

Christian women petted stones at the Hindus returning from a procession when an old tribal Khageswar Mallick fell down, he was brutally stoned to death on 24th evening.


When Bhikari Sethi a Vendor of Birikot village of Gajapati district was alone near Bramhanigon some Christians burnt him with kerosene. He is saved by the Police and other Hindu villagers and now undergoing treatment at M KC G Medical College hospital.

On 27th nearly 3000 Christians of nearby villages of Ganjam, Gajapati with the local Christians attacked the Bramhanigaon villagers with arms and ammunitions and also with the help of naxales. When the villagers fled away and surrendered at the police station, the Christians torched the whole village and attacked the police station. Exchange of fire continued for more than four hours. One police and the Gajapati S.P. who were there at that time were injured. One Christian was killed by the police firing.

A young Christian who was seriously injured in the fighting later found hiding in the Christian Sahi confessed the plan and program of the attackers before the S.P. which has been recorded.

The most important factor which has made the Kondh tribal most disturbed is the illegal demand of S.T. status to some converted Pano Christians who are deprived of S.C facilities due to their conversion by a planned conspiracy. Radhakant Nayak an Retd I A S now M.P Rajya Sabha, who is a converted Christian got SC facility stating himself as Hindu is charged as the main conspirator by the Kandha community.

A large number of Christians who are converted are getting SC facilities by false Caste certificates and some of them even got S.T. certificates and serving in various Government departments like Radhakant Nayank, John Nayak IPS retd, Isac Behera IAS retd and several others. A list of 130 such names has been submitted by Kandh organization to the State Government.

Christians have forcibly and illegally constructed houses, Churches and other Christian establishments on lands of tribals which they could not get back after Court order causing resentment amongst the tribal like Barakhama and Sukhananda and many other places (published in Samaj Oriya Daily dated 4-1-08)

Houses, shops and vehicles of Hindus are looted and burnt in many villages where Hindus are in minority.

During the whole incidents not a single Christian was attacked. Nearly 25 Hindus were injured by Christians at different places. Large quantity of Arms were seized from the Houses of Christians at Bramhanigaon.

Christians have beaten and threatened to kill in many villages where Hindus are in minority like Gadapur, Katingia, Tiarigaon etc which compelled the villagers to flee to the jungle or to a safer place. 95 families comprising 430 persons in Katingia and Tiarigaon of Bramahnigaon P.S are fled away to Merikot of Ganjam and several others are in the jungles.

Knowing that Government will provide them with Indira Awas Christians themselves burnt the houses. Similarly church institutions torched their so-called Jhopadi churches to get foreign aid and leveled blame on nearby Hindu community. Several such instances were reported false by courts in the previous years. Now it has been also supported by the Statement of D.G. Police (Published in the Indian Express on 5-1-2008)

All India Christian Forum leader John Dayal has admitted that Christians have attacked Bramahanigaon village and involved in the violence.

From the above facts one can easily understand the poor innocent Christians of such remote areas could not have done such things in a planned way without the support of any big foreign funding organization. There is hidden hand of world vision, YMCA, NISWASS etc and Church organization behind such incidents.



The evil intention of these foreign funded organization and Institutions are to create social disharmony and conflict by which they will get more foreign fund and tarnish the image of the Nation.



Therefore we demand

1) Govt of India should check foreign funding to the NGOs and Church establishments and frame laws to scrutinize the activities of these organizations.

2) To protect all the rights and facilities provided to the SCs & STs and to prevent others (non SC & ST) from taking away those facilities by fraud..."



- Released by
Gauri Prasad Rath, General Secretary VHP-Orissa &
Dr Laxmi Kant Dash, General Secretary, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram-Orissa
from Delhi Camp

<b>Converted Christian’s effort to grab ST status in Orissa’s Kandhamal results in bloody clashes: Attack on Swami Laxmanananda aggravates the situation </b>

Phulbani (Orissa):-Kandhamal district is once again in news. The district – which is very often proudly claimed as Orissa's Kashmir – witnessed clashes between two local communities – the tribal Kondh predominantly Hindus and Panas mostly converted to Christianity.

<b>The Projection of the incident in Media </b>

A section depicted it as communal clash and squarely blamed the Hindus for the three days of violence.

The clashes between the two groups which began on the Christmas eve, threw normal life out of gear at places like Brahmanigoan, Barkhama, Baliguda, Tikabali, Daringibadi, Phulbani and few other places and compelled the government to impose curfew at several towns in the district.


Many media, mostly the national and international, – without a reality check – went overdrive to paint a wrong picture about the entire sequence of events. Very few investigated the reasons of the violence put the blame squarely on the Hindus. Only burning of churches and prayer houses were reported, not the lethal attack on the Hindu seer Laxmananda Saraswati found due place in the newspapers. Nor the death of a Hindu – which was immediate provocation for the communal clash – was properly highlighted. Even Maoists joining hands with Christians in attacking tribals was ignored by the international and national media.

However the vernacular press predominantly reflected what actually happened on the ground and found Christians being the initiator of the latest hostility between the communities. The followers of Christ faith were in the forefront of attack and they attacked Hindu hamlets and attacked the police and even collaborated with Maoists in attacking the kondh tribals, they reported.

<b>Starting of the trouble </b>

The trouble started on the eve of the eve of Christsmas Day. On December 23, the converted Christians at Brahmanigoan wanted to erect a gate near the place of a Hindu deity to celebrate the Christmas. This was resented by the local Hindus. They asked the Christians why they were insisting to build the second gate near their place of worship when they had already erected one where they normally use to erect their Christmas gate. This led to heated exchange of words between members of the two communities. Two Hindu youths were severely beaten up and injured by the Christians.

As this news reached to Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a selfless Hindu seer – working for the socio-economic development of the local people for over four decades, he set out for Brahmanigoan on December 24. While he was on his way, he was surrounded by the Christians and attacked with sharp weapons. The seer and two of his fellow travelers sustained serious injuries. With Swamiji’s drivers prompt action and fleding away with vehicle, life of Swamiji was saved.

The news of attack on the seer and his disciples spread like a wildfire and shocked his innumerable supporters in the district. What followed was the emotional outburst of Swamiji’s followers created over a period of four decade long service to the people, their development and religious awakening.

Both the sides indulged in clashes at several places – damaging life and property on both the sides. Strangely, many national and international media presented one-sided story, - they did not see how the Hindus were dragged out of their houses, beaten up and hacked to death. They only saw churches and listened what the Christian leaders spoke. The world was fed with wrong information.

<b>The social issues that affects peace very often in Phulbani</b>

The problem that has often led to clashes in the district – in reality – is more of social character than religious. The Kondh, native tribal community constitute the overwhelming majority of the district. Pans originally a Scheduled Caste group in majority have been converted to Christianity.

Kui – the mother tongue of the Kondhs is the principal language of the district. The sizable Christian Panas speak Kui, the tribal dialect.

Christian Panas have been demanding scheduled tribe (ST) status. They contend that since they speak Kui and their lifestyle and socio-economic conditions are similar with the Kondhs, they should be considered as scheduled tribe.

The Panas claim they received a shot in the arm when the J.B. Patnaik government in 1982 recommended the Centre to recognize the Kuis as STs. But Kui is a language and not the name of any tribe. The state government recommendation got the President's assent in 2002. But it may be clarified that Presidential proclamation talked of Kui to be included in ST category. The Govt. of Orissa refused ST status to Kui speaking converted people as the Record of Rights of that section of Kui speaking people are named as Panas belonging to Schedule Caste category.

<b>Court has intervened </b>

This was challenged by the Christian Panas in Orissa High Court. They filed a writ petition in the HC seeking passing of an order in favour of their demand.

The HC in its directive asked the state government to take appropriate decision in the light of Presidential proclamation. The legal battle went on and finally the Court asked the Govt. to take a decision.

<b>The Govt declines</b>

However, the state government submitted that since the Record of Rights of the Panas did not mention the Panas belonging to Tribe category, their demand for the said status could not be met. “This demand is not based on historical and anthropological facts”, Orissa Government time and again has maintained.

The dropped steel and mines minister Padmanabh Behera, who belongs to Pana community –was apparently sympathetic the demand ST status to his fellow people. The Kondhs say Mr Behera was utilizing the state machinery to repress them when the opposed to the Pana's ST status demand. Going by demand of Kondhas for removal of Mr. Behera from the ministry, it was apparently Chief Minister Naven Patnaik wanted Mr. Behera to resign to buy peace from angry Kondhs of the district.

<b>Rangnath Mishra commission recommendations adds fuel to the fire </b>

Justice Ranganth Commission, that recommended facility of reservation to be extended to the converted dalit people, the ST and SC people are apprehensive of their rights being curtailed and grabed by converted people who at the present law not eligible to get reservation facility.

<b>R. K. Naik, the villain </b>

Behind the social tension, conflict, disorder and bloody battle there is hand of a former bureaucrat a native of Kandhamal district <b>Mr. Radhakant Naik now a Congress MP</b>. He patronized missionary activities and conversion alienating sizable section of the society from their culture and tradition.

It may be noted that <b>Mr. Naik a converted Christian had got into Indian Administrative service in Scheduled Caste quota, which he is not entitled to as per Indian constitution</b>.

Now close to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who generously made him member of Rajya Sabha from Orissa, alleged Swami Laxmananda as man behind attack on him on Christmas eve. Attack on Swamiji had taken place in the native village of Mr. Naik in Dasingibadi, considered as stronghold of Christian’s activity.

Founder of Phulbani Kui Jankalyan Sangh, he leads the movement for arranging ST status for Christian Panas, the group to which he himself belongs.

<b>Ban on conversion </b>

A VHP delegation which included retired Judge of Orissa High Court Justice M. Papanna, educationist Dr. Ratnakar Chaini, VHP state President Bipin Bihari Ratha wanted the Chief Minister to ban on conversion as they opined it as the root of all problems in tribal regions of the state. Atleast they demanded strict implementation of Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA) – 1967 that prescribes stringent provisions for conversion from one religion to another.

While the VHP delegation welcomed Judicial commission set up to enquire into the communal disturbances in Kandhamal wanted Z category security for Swami Laxmananda in view of threat on his life. It may be noted that Swamiji has been attacked 9 times so far lethally.

They also demanded setting up of a commission to scrutinize and enquire into flow of foreign funs to the Christian missionaries and their utilization.