Curfew in India's Orissa state after Hindu-Christian clashes

Oct 1, 2008, 10:41 GMT

   New Delhi - Authorities clamped a curfew on eastern Orissa state's Khandamal district on Wednesday after fresh clashes between Hindus and Christians, news reports said.

India's federal Home Ministry also sent a communique to the Orissa government with instructions to take firm and effective steps to bring the 'apparent lawlessness' under control, PTI and IANS news agency reported.

A woman was killed and eight other people injured in renewed violence Tuesday in Khandamal.

The incidents took place in Rudangia, Telingia and Gadaguda villages about 340 kilometres west of state capital Bhubaneshwar.

Several of the injured had bullet wounds, while others were wounded by sharp-edged weapons like axes, hospital sources were quoted as saying.

The police have arrested 15 people, belonging to both communities, for the latest bout of violence.

The communal clashes in the region broke out on August 23 after the killing of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who was shot by unidentified gunmen.

The right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad organization, which Saraswati belonged to, accused Christians of the murders, a charge denied by Christian organizations. Saraswati was running a campaign in the region against conversion to Christianity.

   Since then, many Christian prayer halls and churches have been attacked and at least 32 people, mostly Christians, killed.

Thousands of people have fled from their homes and are living in relief camps and the forests.

Jibardhan Majhe from Rattanga village, who fled from his home on August 26, was quoted as saying that a local Hindu group had been asking him to convert since December 2007. He had refused and his house was burnt in August, along with those of several other Christians.

'Four families of my village have converted to Hinduism and gone back,' he said.

'In my village, the Hindus told us that if you want to stay here you have to convert. All Christian families except four converted to Hindusim,' Rina Diggal, from Raisimandi village, said.

Large numbers of security personnel have been deployed in the area, but officials say that the forest terrain was posing a problem for effective policing.

'The attacks were made in a very systematic manner, like blocking roads and felling trees so that police cannot go to the spot,' Home Ministry official ML Kumawat said.

Communally sensitive Khandamal - with a population of around 600,000 including 150,000 Christians - has witnessed numerous clashes between Hindus and Christians.