Who really killed Swami Laxmanananda?
Was it the Maoists?
Orissa’s top ranking Maoist Sabyasachi Panda has once again claimed that the red brigade killed Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples at his Jalespeta ashram on August 23.
or Christians?
…The police have arrested Pradesh Kumar Das, an employee of the World Vision, a Christian Charity, from Khadagpur while escaping from the district at Buguda. In another drive, two other persons Vikram Digal and William Digal have been arrested from the house of Lal Digal, a local militant Christian, from Nuasahi at Gunjibadi, Nuagaan. They have admitted to having joined a group of 28 other assailants.
or both?
Admitting that Maoist groups in Orissa derive major support from minority communities, a prominent Maoist leader has said there was pressure from both Christians and Dalits to eliminate VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati.
…Noting that most of the cadre members and supporters in Orissa belonged to Christian community, Panda said, ‘It is a fact that Christians are in majority in our organisation.
Our supporters in Orissa’s Rayagada, Gajapati and Kandhamal also belonged to Christian community.’
UPDATE: ”…Police arrested two Christians in Orissa on Monday in connection with the murder of a Hindu leader that sparked weeks of deadly clashes, a killing which is also blamed on Maoist rebels…”
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Why are Christian Missionaries targeting India - III
Pray dear me, if tomorrow a ‘Hindu’ naxalite kills somebody, is it done by the Hindu community. So are you saying that in that case all Hindu houses should be burnt down.
Moreover, Who drove the Christian tribal to take shelter from Naxals if this is true?
Comment by Conscience Matters | October 7, 2008
Yet Another Proof of Sangh Parivar’s Lying Nature & Distorting Truth
The following is taken from Vishal Arora’s write up. Vishal Arora is a Delhi-based journalist, and can be contacted at vishalarora_in@hotmail.com
The newspaper report, which is being circulated by email and on the Web by supporters of the Sangh Parivar, is not only inflammatory, but also factually incorrect.
Posted Wednesday, Aug 27 23:34:31, 2008
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) spokesperson Ram Madhav told CNN IBN yesterday that Christians were behind the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others in Orissa’s Kandhamal district on August 23. Madhav pointed out that Orissa police had arrested workers of the Christian organization World Vision for the killing. He should have had his facts right before making a statement on a national channel.
Madhav’s statement may have been based on a report in a newspaper (The Pioneer, August 25): “The police have arrested Pradesh Kumar Das, an employee of the World Vision, a Christian Charity, from Khadagpur while escaping from the district at Buguda. In another drive, two other persons Vikram Digal and William Digal have been arrested from the house of Lal Digal, a local militant Christian, from Nuasahi at Gunjibadi, Nuagaan. They have admitted to having joined a group of 28 other assailants.”
The newspaper report, which is being circulated by email and on the Web by supporters of the Sangh Parivar, is not only inflammatory, but also factually incorrect.
Disturbed by the report, I spoke to Deputy Inspector General (Southern Range) R.P. Koche in Bhubaneshwar, who categorically denied it. “No one has been arrested in ‘connection’ with the attack on Swami’s Ashram. We have merely made some preventive arrests for interrogation,” he said.
Then, Jayakumar Christian, the executive director of World Vision India, narrated how his organisation’s employees landed up in a police station. “Two of our workers were fleeing sensitive areas on a motorbike to escape attacks. They started from Daringbari and were going to Bhubaneswar. However, when they reached Behrampore (Ganjam district), security personnel deployed there asked them to take shelter in a police station for their safety. The police informed us that our employees are in the police station, and asked us to take them to a safer place. And they came back safely the following day.” He spoke to me on the phone today.
One wonders what is the source of the newspaper’s report, which claims that those arrested also confessed to the crime – when the police have denied it. God alone knows how many false reports could be taking the rounds.
It is unfortunate that at least nine people, mainly Christians, have been killed or burnt alive and hundreds of homes belonging to Christians have been destroyed by mobs allegedly led by the VHP in the name of retribution. And the violence is carrying on. This is in spite of the fact that a Maoist group, the People’s Liberation Revolutionary Group, has claimed responsibility for the killing. A leader of the group, who identified himself as Azad, reportedly called up a newspaper office and said they killed Saraswati because he mixed “religion with politics…” That Kandhamal is a Maoist-affected district is also common knowledge. Further, the police found a threat letter in Saraswati’s ashram that was sent prior to the attack. Furthermore, the attack was launched with sophisticated weapons, which also indicates Maoist involvement.
Does the VHP not know that the culprits are most likely to be Maoists? Perhaps they do, but it is typical of the VHP and other members of the timid Sangh Parivar to attack soft targets. They raise the issue of Islamist terrorism, but kill and beat common Muslims – as they did in the post-Godhra violence in Gujarat in 2002. And now, in Orissa, they are killing Christians and destroying their property when there are clear indications that Maoists launched the August 23 attack. All that is needed is a lie to target the minority community, and thanks to sections of the media, there is no dearth of falsehoods being propagated.
Comment by Harsh | October 7, 2008
@ Conscience: I don’t know where (and how) you got the impression that just because the killer(s) were Christians, Christians should be attacked…
Let me be very clear:
1. The identity/faith of the murderer does not make the crime less or more heinous.
2. Regardless of anything above, there can be NO justification for the killing of innocents.
***
@ Harsh: Pl. see UPDATE to the post.
Comment by B Shantanu | October 7, 2008
To ‘Harsh’ and ‘Conscience Matters’,
Few logical and self centered fallacies here that need correction -
a) The killing of the Swami might have technically be done by a ‘Maoist’ - but was done in the name of Chritianity. The motive of the murder of Christianity and not Moaism!! It is the ‘Christian’ factor of the ‘Christian moaists’ that led to the murder and not he ‘moaist’ factor.
b) If such people can be ‘forgiven’ as not being really ‘christian’ (but as Moaists or ‘devient’ humans), then the same scale should be used by not calling the VHP and Sangh cadres as ‘hindus’ - because such ‘hindus’ are just ‘incidentally’ hindus and not the representative of either entire ‘hindu community’ or ‘VHP/Sangh’. Note that there ARE Muslims and Chritians in several Sangh related organizations. So, going by your (self centered and self absolving) logic, you should NOT call them either ‘hindus’ or as part of ‘VHP/Sangh’! There were some people who technicaly (AND legally) did not even belong to Baj’dal or VHP, got angry for the misdeeds of Christians and retaliated.
Self absolving is not the propritary patented right of Christians and Muslims. Any idiot with half a penny brain can do that. Just look at the ideology - ‘Hindus’ believe in universal acceptance of every human thought based on mutual respect of others chosen path of salvation - Bible and Koran believe that ALL OTHER paths (other than their own) leads to eternal damnation in hell!
Comment by Bhishma | October 7, 2008
@ Bhishma
Whoever said that the murderers be ‘Forgiven’? Catch the culprits; be it Christians, Maoists or Christian Maoists. But why target the innocent?
Comment by Harsh | October 7, 2008
Targeting the ‘innocent’ is certainly incorrect. But you use the ‘alleged’ VHP/Sangh’s name as if they were actually involved in the crime (even though none of them were implicated by police). However, the same ‘Moaists’ that you were referring to have said that Christians were their fair denomination and they did it at the behest (pressure from?) of Christian community.
There is atleast an evidence of the element of Christianity involved in the murder - as told by the murderers themselves. What worries me here is that you entirely see through that point but is very candid in using the name of VHP/Baj’dal just because their name was used by the media - the same media that you hold (ir)responsible for using the name of Chritianity. Atleast be kind enough and just stop the double standard and we are all set.
Comment by Bhishma | October 7, 2008
We can’t find answers just by poinintg fingers..The misionaries may have exploited the helplesness of triblas,but raping nuns and buring them is not the solution either..Fanatical groups exist in every organized religions..Interestingly,I find it ‘cool’ that the very same people who yell at moderate muslims fro not ‘acting’ against jihadisits have to say on this,when none of hindu leaders are talking or working against hindu terrorists..That doesn’t seem fair to me..Is it fair?
Comment by Nimmy | October 7, 2008
Dear Sir,
When Indira Gandhi was shot dead, riots took place all over India and the targets were a particular community. When that happened, a future prime minister of India was supposed to have said that when a tree of the size of Indira falls it will have repurcussions.
In the same manner when a good man and eminent leader, beloved of the locals is murdered in cold blood certain things will take place, in the line of human thinking.
It is a human to get angry and upset when a beloved leader is assasinated and killed in cold blood, and the outpouring will be as cruel as the deed.
Let everybody accept responsibility for the actions and things will quieten down.
Just as two thousand years ago one leader said to a king ‘Let my people go”, I am appealing to these people “Let my people alone” salvation is theirs to decide.
By the way when you play with fire you will get burnt. Do not play with it.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c. krishnan | October 7, 2008
Why do they have to kill Swami?. They could have gone to govt., complaining about it. If they were peace loving society, why are so many objection in thier deeds. Sorry misdeeds. Any misdeeds have consequencies either it may ignite the public, govt or any org. We condemn all kind of riots, but for that other side also has to conduct lawfully without taking advantage of innocents and naive people. O
Comment by Indian | October 7, 2008
Why nun who is victim of rape is hiding?
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/mns-rampage-victim-dies-bihar-cm-is-livid/76372-3.html?from=rssfeed
Comment by Indian | October 21, 2008