Parivar opposes aid to riot-hit churches

Written by Writer on Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Parivar opposes aid to riot-hit churches

BHUBANESWAR : The Sangh Parivar on Tuesday opposed government aid for reconstruction of churches claimed to have been burnt or damaged during the recent communal violence in Kandhmal district.

The Parivar’s opposition to state assistance was raised in a joint memorandum submitted to Union ministers Sharad Pawar, Meira Kumar and P R Kyndiah when they visited Jalespeta ashram on Tuesday.

In Kandhmal district, Christians display their religious identity by hoisting a cross on the rooftops of their houses, said the memorandum. “Such houses cannot be treated as churches,” said Ashok Sahoo, president of Hindu Jagaran Samukhya. Sahoo was one of the Sangh Parivar leaders present at the ashram when the ministers reached there. He apprised the ministers about Saraswati’s contribution to economic development of the poor and protection of Hinduism and how his activities were not liked by some people.

The memorandum further said that a large number of churches and prayer halls had been built “illegally” on forest and other encroached land. “These kind of structures should not be given any compensation by the state government. If that happens, it will amount to regularizing an illegal act,” it observed. It said that an estimated 3,600 Hindu religious places had been “defiled and destroyed” during the violence and they should be compensated.

The Orissa government, which earlier had taken a stand that its secular policy did not allow it to provide financial compensation to religious places damaged in the communal violence, has since taken a spin. Finding that the Kandhmal district administration was in a fix how to disburse the money, the state government a few days ago has sent a guideline for disbursement.

The rule provides compensation ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2 lakh. Christian institutions like pastor centres and training structures are also mentioned as entitled to official compensation.

19 Nov 2008, Rajaram Satapathy , TNN