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Kandhmal has a history of communal flare-ups
28 Aug 2008, 0236 hrs IST, Sandeep Mishra,TNN
BHUBANESWAR: Caught in the vortex of conversion and reconversion, Kandhmal's agony is manifold. Like most other tribal-dominated districts, this southern Orissa district, too, grapples with poverty, deprivation, illiteracy and malnutrition. But what is most disturbing is the increasing ethnic and communal schism that has turned it into a tinderbox. Political one-upmanship and entry of Maoists have only made the matters worse.
Simmering since long, Kandhmal experiencing communal conflagrations as is being witnessed now or was seen last December isnt surprising at all. In fact, communal violence was waiting to happen. And at the genesis of this condition lies the divide between the tribal Kandhs and Panas (an SC community) in the district. What was more a competition for economic resources, especially land, between the two major communities over a century back, has with time assumed religious dimensions, thanks to Christian missionaries and Sangh Parivar outfits.
Over the years, a large number of Panas has embraced Christianity, while a significant mass of Kandhs has entered the Hindufold. And taking advantage of the religious polarization, the missionaries and the Sangh Parivar have in the last few decades been playing, overtly as well as covertly, the politics of proselytisation. If the Christians convert, the saffron brigade reconverts. And the battle for supremacy continues, making the ST/SC populace mere pawns in the endgame.
While Kandhmal (formerly Phulbani district) has been split along ethnic lines for decades, the problem took a turn for the worse in the early nineties. "The ST central list was amended with enlistment of three more groups Kui, Kuvi, Kuee as ST, in addition to the original Kandh. A lot of Panas also speak Kui language and they, too, started demanding ST status. This was a well-calculated demand as ST status would entail government benefits even for those Panas who have embraced Christianity," says a researcher.
Expectedly, this wasn't acceptable to the Kandhs who feared that the Panas would corner the benefits. As such Kandhs had for long been accusing Panas of fraudulently taking away their land. Matters turned ugly when delimitation of constituencies changed Khandmal Lok Sabha seats reserved status from SC to ST. And the Panas resumed their demand for tribal tag, providing vested interest groups with perfect ammunition to ignite communal fire.
The stakes of both hardline Christians and Hindus are high, because a quarter of the 6.5-lakh people in the district believe in Jesus Christ, forcing the missionaries to work overtime to protect their interests, and on the other hand, Hindutva supporters see Kandhmal as a major centre for homecoming of tribals.
Kandhmal has a history of communal flare-ups-India-The Times of India
28 Aug 2008, 0236 hrs IST, Sandeep Mishra,TNN
BHUBANESWAR: Caught in the vortex of conversion and reconversion, Kandhmal's agony is manifold. Like most other tribal-dominated districts, this southern Orissa district, too, grapples with poverty, deprivation, illiteracy and malnutrition. But what is most disturbing is the increasing ethnic and communal schism that has turned it into a tinderbox. Political one-upmanship and entry of Maoists have only made the matters worse.
Simmering since long, Kandhmal experiencing communal conflagrations as is being witnessed now or was seen last December isnt surprising at all. In fact, communal violence was waiting to happen. And at the genesis of this condition lies the divide between the tribal Kandhs and Panas (an SC community) in the district. What was more a competition for economic resources, especially land, between the two major communities over a century back, has with time assumed religious dimensions, thanks to Christian missionaries and Sangh Parivar outfits.
Over the years, a large number of Panas has embraced Christianity, while a significant mass of Kandhs has entered the Hindufold. And taking advantage of the religious polarization, the missionaries and the Sangh Parivar have in the last few decades been playing, overtly as well as covertly, the politics of proselytisation. If the Christians convert, the saffron brigade reconverts. And the battle for supremacy continues, making the ST/SC populace mere pawns in the endgame.
While Kandhmal (formerly Phulbani district) has been split along ethnic lines for decades, the problem took a turn for the worse in the early nineties. "The ST central list was amended with enlistment of three more groups Kui, Kuvi, Kuee as ST, in addition to the original Kandh. A lot of Panas also speak Kui language and they, too, started demanding ST status. This was a well-calculated demand as ST status would entail government benefits even for those Panas who have embraced Christianity," says a researcher.
Expectedly, this wasn't acceptable to the Kandhs who feared that the Panas would corner the benefits. As such Kandhs had for long been accusing Panas of fraudulently taking away their land. Matters turned ugly when delimitation of constituencies changed Khandmal Lok Sabha seats reserved status from SC to ST. And the Panas resumed their demand for tribal tag, providing vested interest groups with perfect ammunition to ignite communal fire.
The stakes of both hardline Christians and Hindus are high, because a quarter of the 6.5-lakh people in the district believe in Jesus Christ, forcing the missionaries to work overtime to protect their interests, and on the other hand, Hindutva supporters see Kandhmal as a major centre for homecoming of tribals.
Kandhmal has a history of communal flare-ups-India-The Times of India