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p class=”summary”br /The 2001 census showed Kandhamal with a Christian population of 117,950, up from 75,597 a decade earlier. According to District Collector Krishnan Kumar, “The Christian growth rate in the district is 66% as against 18.6% for the overall population growth in the district.”br /br /Kumar said that the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, which took effect in 1989, allows people to change or adopt any religion, but all such individuals must submit a form to the district magistrate. “We have received just two applications, not just between 1991 and 2001 but between 1989 and 2008. We must understand that every one must follow law,” Kumar explained.br /br /The Kandhamal region has seen conflicts following the murder of a Hindu swami and four of his aides./phr /

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