Source: www.indianexpress.com
BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, July 3, 2009: A judicial commission probing last year’s riots in Kandhamal, Orissa, has found that conversion and re-conversion were the decisive factors. “Sources of the violence were deeply rooted in land disputes, conversion and re-conversion and fake certificate issues,” according to the interim report prepared by justice S. C. Mohapatra.
Mohapatra said the Kandha tribals, who are 52 percent of the population and largely uneducated, have suspected the Pano Dalits, who are Christians, of capturing the tribals’ land through fraudulent means and using fake certificates to co-opt quotas meant for the tribals. He suggested that the state government expedite freeing of tribal lands from non-tribals, take up fake certificate cases and remain vigilant to conversion and re-conversion.
The CPI (a Maoist organization) claimed responsibility for killing VHP leader Laxmananda Saraswati on August 23 last year. The large-scale violence triggered by the killing of Saraswati and four of his associates claimed 43 lives and damaged many houses and churches. Mohapatra said no blame has been assigned in the interim report.