Dear friends
Greetings
We must welcome every single effort at peace in Kandhamal and in Orissa
Its main ingredients must be:
- Immediate return of all Christians to their homes
- Removal of fear — which means adequate and more CRPF as local police has tainted itself.
- Punishment for the guilty — all guilty including those responsible for any violence against Hindus, but no harassment of innocent. The harassment of innocents becomes the cause of long term enmity and mutual suspicion anger.
- Reconciliation between Kondhs and Kuis and Panos of all religions — Christians, Hindus and Indigenous, and Oriyas traders in Kandhamal. They have to live in future and neighbours, not in ghettos. There cannot be a ‘Lebalisation” of Kandhamal.
- Immediate ban on the bandh call of various groups for Christmas day, which is very provocative.
- Ban on entry of Togadia and Bajrang Dal and VHP leaders in Kandhamal
- End to hate campaign all over Orissa and the special targeting of Christian Church leaders in the hate campaigns in the presence of police, politicians and officials
- Civil society in Orissa, especially in Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, to assume its responsibility for educating the people. Local civil society, including professors and retired judges must set up their own monitoring committees.
- Political parties to assume their role and not be afraid of VHP or vote bank politics
- Press Council of India to monitor Oriya language print and TV media and its role in fomenting and aggravating violence
- Women’s Commission, Children Commission etc. must take proactive action in Kandhamal where every child is being deprived of his or her fundamental rights including nutrition and education.
- Further, the Church needs to do the following, and work towards:
- Absolutely united legal effort, now underway, but needs additional support
- Absolute unity in relief and rehab effort, a unity nonexistent at present. Each is helping its own, so to speak. Houses of the December 2007 violence still remain incomplete.
- Census of all refugees outside Kandhamal, some living with small church groups as far away as in Sreekakulam in Andhra. Every refugee must be accounted for, every injured must be listed, and the state held accountable. Otherwise their future is very dark.
- Move the courts for ban on bandh on Christmas day or Easter day.
- Senior leaders must come to Bhubaneswar to monitor the Christmas 2008 celebrations in the state of Orissa. Smaller teams must also go to districts affected, and in Kandhamal to every block
- Let us not ignore Christmas. Let there be no talk of black Christmas, black flags or what have you which is negative and pessimistic. Our tribute to the martyrs of Orissa as to celebrate Christmas in their memory. Maybe we can cut down on the dances and parties, but the Churches must be full at every Mass, every service and every homily must remind us of the circumstances in which Christ was born, which is the circumstance n which many a newborn will see the day on Christmas in Kandhamal.
- There can and must be no talk of dialogue with RSS and VHP and Bajrang Dal or apology for killing the VHP leader, as some Christians seem to be advocating. Christians did NOT kill the man. Maoists have claimed credit for shooting him. There are many other theories, including some which indict the Sangh Parivar. Please do not bring in Christians into the picture. Even by way of some half baked theological motive.
- Let us appreciate the work done by every church, every group, international agencies and many others. Let there be no competition, no “I” and “MY group” in staking claims and taking credits. Much remains to be done.
- Finally – Help us prepare a definitive WHITE PAPER on ORISSA 2008
God bless us all
Merry Christmas
John Dayal
