Kandhamal violence, a core social not religious

Jan 03: The recent violence in Kandhamal district of Orissa is actual result of clash of social interest rather conflict between Hindus and Christians, as media painted the incident. It's not exactly the clash of Hindutva and Christian's missionaries but a conflict between â??Kui' tribes and SC â??Pana' group over tribal status, which completely faded into the background.

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In fact it was a long time demand of the â??Kui' community to be counted as Adivasis and subsequently under ST category. But in 1981 as record suggests the Pana harijans â?? untouchables in most parts of Orissa and later converted Christians of Udaygiri tehsil, demanded the same status as they spoke the same language, which was strongly opposed by Kui tribes.

Their demand was later sent to the President office as a result in 2002, an affirmation letter was sent to the government to declare Kui as tribal community. But here was no mention of Kui language speaking people to be regarded as tribes. The state government had also denied initiating the proposal citing various reasons. As a result the Pana group of people appealed in High Court but presenting many evidence the government denied doing so.

A NGO named Phulbani Kui Jankalyan Sangh was the first to grab this demand, which was strongly resisted by the Kandhamal district Kui Samaj Coordination Committee alleging that some members of the NGO belongs to the Pana community and hence trying to create disturbance. They had also threatened that if the government considers demands of Pana harijans then it would lead to a stern situation.

As per the reports, the Pana harijans started claiming themselves as Kui tribes leading to tensed situation in villages. The news that the State Orissa Steel and Mines Minister, Padmanava Behra was in support of Pana community further angered leaders of Kui, who called for a bandh on December 25. Earlier supporters of Vishva Hindu Parishad, VHP had called for a bandh on the same day following an attack on spiritual leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. Both communities on their way spar and then that took a violent turn and resulted into an immediate imposition of curfew by the administration.

As per the reports of TV channels the violence hit the state after a number of churches in Kandhamal districts were vandalised by some Hindu hardliners following which riot woke up and the administration was forced to impose curfew. This might be the immediate cause but what the real scene behind is the demand of social status by two sections of a community and not a religious clash between Hindus and Christians. [With ST status one can get extra benefits as tribals even after conversion, which an SC cannot.]

Media reported it as a communal violence between Hindus and Christians over conversion of low caste dalit Hindus or those Pana harijans into Christians. Again that might be a reason that acted as catalyst for the incident but the real one grounded somewhere; even the government is still not awaken to address the real problems and completing its duty only by appointing a judicial probe and providing compensation to the riot victims.

Taking moral responsibility of the incident Orissa Steel and Mines Minister, Padmanava Behra resigned. His resignation made it clear that it was a clash between Hindu Kandhas or Kui tribes and Christian Panas over the status of ST and the attack on Hindu leaders only intensified it. Though there are many incidents of religious clashes over conversion but by and large it was not a religious clash.