Union home minister P Chidambaram on Friday apologized to the Christians who have been victims of communal violence in this district and asked those living in different relief camps to return to their villages as their safety and security would be fully guaranteed by both the state as well as central government. Chidambaram said, “I am sorry for what had happened. Those who had done this will be punished. Please go back to your villages and start your life once again. I have come here to look at your conditions. The Centre and the Orissa government will do everything to remove your difficulties and provide full protection.” “You must be confident that you are safe...wrongdoers will be punished. There is a need for all sections of society to live together,” the home minister who was on a two-day visit to Orissa said. He also asked to build their churches damaged during the communal violence and practice their religion fearlessly.
A number of churches were burnt and thousands of Christians, mainly tribals, had to flee their villages after being targeted by extremist Hindus in the wake of the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati by Maoists in August last year. Chidambaram’s visit to these camps assumes significance in view of the political vacuum in the entire district which remained neglected by all the parties, including Congress, in the aftermath of the communal violence. Tribal Christians had to face the wrath of tribal Hindus after the killing of the VHP leader as his supporters thought that Laxmananad Saraswati was killed by those naxals who are mainly from the minority community. The region still faces a clear divide between the two communities over the issue of conversion and re-conversion.
A number of churches were burnt and thousands of Christians, mainly tribals, had to flee their villages after being targeted by extremist Hindus in the wake of the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati by Maoists in August last year. Chidambaram’s visit to these camps assumes significance in view of the political vacuum in the entire district which remained neglected by all the parties, including Congress, in the aftermath of the communal violence. Tribal Christians had to face the wrath of tribal Hindus after the killing of the VHP leader as his supporters thought that Laxmananad Saraswati was killed by those naxals who are mainly from the minority community. The region still faces a clear divide between the two communities over the issue of conversion and re-conversion.
0 comments:
Post a Comment