India: Inquiry on anti-Christian violence in Orissa underway

Swami Saraswati

A Commission of Inquiry on the anti-Christian violence that took place in 2008 in the district of Kandhamal, in Orissa, has finally concluded its work and hearings on October 30 and is preparing to publish a detailed report on the investigation, which will be released at the end of December and presented to the government of Orissa.

Judge AS Naidu, head of the Commission, remarked that: "because of the lack of cooperation of many stakeholders, including the government, it took almost seven years to finish the investigation."

The Commission's main task was to study the sequence of events and circumstances that led to the killing of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23, 2008 and the following wave of violence. The Commission received almost 700 sworn statements. On 1 July 2009, the Commission presented an interim report to the government, recommending appropriate measures to prevent new outbreaks of violence in Kandhamal.

The district in Kandhamal was the epicenter of the anti-Christian violence in 2008. More than 5,600 houses in 415 villages were looted, more than 90 were killed and 395 places of worship were destroyed, while 56,000 Christians were displaced.

Source: Fides