D N Singh
Bhubaneswar, Dec 19: A recently-formed outfit called Swami Laxmanand Saraswati Shradhanjali Samiti has called for a ‘Bandh’ on December 25 in Orissa. The state government, on the other hand, is making all efforts not to allow such a ' bandh' to take place as it may stoke unpleasant sentiments. Recently, Orissa’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Assembly categorically assured Christians in the state and, Kandhamal in particular, that they could celebrate the festival without any fear. A phase of communal unrest had begun in the state in August, and it took nearly a month or more for minimum normalcy to be restored in Kandhamal. Tensions ran high and social equations were under strain. In fact, Orissa is still in a state of recuperative silence following that blood bath. Even now, many roads and lanes are filled with the debris of that communal hatred. For the past few weeks, the mandarins in Orissa have been working overtime to workout a strategy to prevent the ‘bandh’, which otherwise could foment a situation of retaliatory nature. And such an anticipation by the Chief Minister is not unfounded. Despite the low intensity clash in December 2007 in Kandhamal, in which the slain Swami had sustained injuries, the State Government had refused to wake up to the imminence of a possible fall out and was caught with its pants down in 2008. Damage was done. Kandhamal was inflicted by divisions which were never there. Orissa got defamed by poorly-informed intermediaries, who are not even conversant with the basic realities of the strife-torn district. There was a surge in emotional outbursts from both the camps when the winds of death led charred century-old harmony into tatters. Enough is enough. But people of this part have shown the resilience to survive the vicissitudes of an unwelcome process. The government has now demonstrated the will to act. The police, although belatedly, have been able to nab seven persons in connection with the Swami's killing and have detained about 18 more. On the other hand, about four persons are in jail on the charges of their alleged involvement in the nun rape incident. The unrest witnessed by the state was neither an unqualified victory for those who killed the Swami, nor a satisfaction for the ones who retaliated. It’s no time for shadow-boxing between people, who think that a bandh call on the day of coming Christmas would bring peace to the slain Swami's soul, and the government, which thinks that such an official dictate alone can be the deterrent against any such eventuality. Why not a dialogue? The people of Kandhamal do not deserve any more punishment.
Hindus shall no longer be push-overs.
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