	Wed, May 22, 2013
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Strife-torn Orissa

History of religion is perhaps a history of violence and undoubtedly, religion has been the root cause of most of the violence occurring in different parts of the globe. Communal violence in India is no longer confined to Jammu & Kashmir or Gujarat, but has spread its evil tentacles to various parts of the nation.

The divisive politics which only serves the ‘divide and rule’ principle as a legacy of erstwhile British imperialists have been nurtured in due course of time only to gain political mileage. Eventually, it alarms a threat to India’s very essence of ‘unity in diversity’.

All major religions are tainted with violence, however, the present communal clash in eastern Indian state Orissa is yet another example of the growing religious hate campaign in India.

What has happened in Kandhamal and other tribal dominated bench of Orissa in past, though holds a social background of caste reservation, this time taken an ugly turn in the form of 'religious hue' when Christian missionaries started converting low-caste Hindus. This conversion infuriated Hindu fundamentalists and later incited them to pose an attack upon Christians disregarding the fact that religion is a matter of personal choice.

The recent flare up is solely allied to the same ground which just blazed up with the abrupt killing of Hindu religious leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, who was engaged in transforming 'converted Hindus' back to 'Hinduism.'

The foreign and Indian missionaries in Orissa are attacked by those religious fanatics who consider Christians responsible behind conversion of Hindus and the cause of Laxmananda’s killing. Hindu-Christian conflict in Orissa has so far claimed more than dozen lives including a girl who was burnt to death in a missionary training centre.

Though the state government has ordered a judicial probe into the death of Hindu leader that is also learnt to be the result of a Maoists attack; the precarious situation still remains the same in most of the troublesome regions. The entire incident of communal violence in Orissa is a grim pointer to how a situation gets out of control when fundamental forces left unchecked.

More Coverage

Orissa nun refuses to cooperate state police - 24 Oct 2008

SC declines CBI probe into Kandhamal nun rape case - 22 Oct 2008

Sangh Parivar women demand arrest of nun who was raped - 21 Oct 2008

SC to hear Orissa government reply on CBI probe today - 21 Oct 2008

Fresh violence in Orissa's Kandhamal, several hurt - 20 Oct 2008

Judicial commission begins probe in Orissa's Kandhamal - 18 Oct 2008

Curfew lifted in parts of Orissa's riot-hit Kandhamal - 18 Oct 2008

SC to direct on CBI probe of Kandhamal nun rape case - 17 Oct 2008

Orissa VHP leader's killing was pre-planned: police - 17 Oct 2008

Unsafe deliveries in relief camps - 14 Oct 2008

Orissa CM says Kandhamal violence due to SC-ST conflict - 13 Oct 2008