Knowledge (XXG)

1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence

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300:(RSS) started communal tensions between both the communities in the town. The leader of the Mozdur Sangha who had a criminal record was arrested for looting a bus which carried tribal people to their work. The agitated tribal people staged various demonstrations on December 6 and December 7 to get back their money and to take the arrested men to a people's court. On December 8 they attacked the sub-jail as they found their demands were not taken seriously by the local administration. After this, a mob attacked the Christian settlement unexpectedly. All of the arrested were Sangh Parivar activists, members of the Utkal Sangh and members politically close to 405:
man. Their corpses were dragged by wires from telephones and then brought on a trolley to the police station. The two bodies were taken inside the police station and they were burned there along with the police records. The station's entire staff were simply silent spectators. They also burned down a portion of the police station and burned down several government vehicles. 20 policemen were injured during the attack. After this the tribal agitation ended.
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police station and demanded that two men who had been arrested be produced to be prosecuted in a people's court. They encircled the station from 11 am to 2 pm and left with a warning that if there was no solution by 8 December, the people would take matters into their own hands. The local government sought to arm itself with reinforcements from outside the district.
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president of the union. In the starting, all the Khalasi workers had been part of this union. Jaya Singh, along with his gang, had a criminal record. For a long time, he had been involved in various lawless activities known to the local police. He was also active in the illegal liquor trading and competed with another illegal liquor trader, who was a renowned
427:(BJP) of having seized the opportunity to terrorize the Christian community using the excuse of Jaya Singh. Local people said that the BJP leaders were instrumental in burning down the Christian settlement and the culprits were free even after they had reported to the civil administration and the police. People also reported that the 473:
associated with the Sangh Parivar and the Utkal Sangh. The communal forces took the opportunity to attack Christians. The investigation also reported that the government and the law and order machinery failed to take early actions against the Sangh Parivar, despite knowing the early indications of their motive.
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The local government, the police station and the Christians stated that it was not the tribal villagers, but some locals in the town who had organized and engaged in the attack. The Chasi Mulia Samiti's involvement in the attack was denied by the Christians, the local people and the local government.
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The same day the Christian settlement was unexpectedly attacked by a mob of about 500 people. With the aid of petrol and kerosene, about 111 houses belonging to the Christians were looted first and were eventually burned down. Two churches were burned down as well. Other reports stated 92 houses were
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On December 8 at about 10 am, the whole town was overwhelmed and under the stranglehold of the tribal people. Around 5000 people gathered in front of the police station, equipped with traditional weapons. They had already obstructed roadways at least in 10 to 12 locations the night before by blocking
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arrest all the alleged perpetrators that they had identified and that their cash including the bus fare, be returned to them. Jaya Singh, the president of the Mozdur Sangha and another man who was a Hindu, were arrested and brought into custody, but with the aid of the local government, the owner of
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The mob reportedly reached the subjail at about 10.40 a.m. and encircled the building. They broke the prison walls in four locations. There were 35 male prisoners in the prison and all the prisoners were threatened to leave. They then murdered Jaya Singh, the president of Mozdur Sangha, and another
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According to the report of the All India Federation of Organizations for Democratic Rights, a limited number of day-to-day wage workers are employed in "khalasi" (head load) jobs in and around Ramgiri-Udaygiri. These workers have a trade union named "Mozdur Sangha". Jaya Singh, a Christian, was the
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Ramgiri-Udaygiri is a small town in the Gajapati District of Odisha. Ramgiri-Udaygiri and the district of Gajapati's population is dominated by tribal people with a population density of 151 per km. The literacy rate of the district is 24 percent and its share of the rural population is almost 90
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The Chasi Mulia Samiti demonstrated in different parts of the city from December 4 to December 6. At about 10.30 a.m. on December 7, the Chasi Mulia Samiti had a public rally in the town's weekly market premises where around 8,000 individuals from 150 villages took part. They then went the local
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The RSS leader, Laxmi Bhai forced Mozdur Sangha workers to leave their jobs due to a dispute between the two unions over contract work. There was a lot of tension in the area. The local administration interfered and mediated the problem. Several people in and around the town reported that Sangh
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The investigation by the All India Federation of Organizations for Democratic Rights concluded that the murder of the jail inmates was not communal in nature as Jaya Singh was a Christian and the other man was a Hindu. While the looting and burning down Christian houses was a separate incident
359:(RSS), succeeded in establishing a new union named as Utkal Sangh. All the Savarna Hindu workers joined him. But the Dalit workers had stayed in the old union. From then on, the competition between both the unions and fomenting hatred between the Savarna Hindus and the Christians began. 485:. 21 of the 27 are Savarna Hindus, who were also members of Utkal Sangha, the rival of Mozdur Sangha. Out of the remaining six people, three were known Sangh Parivar activists, and the remaining three were tribal people who were politically close to the Sangh Parivar and its 320:
percentage. Of the 3016 km geographical area of the district, there is only 76,671 hectares of farmland. The area is full of forests and hills. Forests represent more than 70 per cent of the geographical area of the district. The major portion of the region is hilly terrain.
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them with trees. A large number of local people also reportedly participated with the tribal people. According to the All India Federation of Democratic Rights Organizations, the tribal people had gathered without any representatives of the Chasi Mulia Samiti.
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were murdered by a mob of 5000 tribal people after breaking into the sub-jail. In a separate case, a mob of 500 people looted and burned down 92 to 111 Christian houses and 2 Churches on the same day. 27 people were arrested.
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Agriculture is the primary means of living. The tribal people participate in their traditional cultivation techniques and gathering natural products from the forest. A small portion of the population are involved in the few
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said that the violence was a very serious incident and said it was a warning to the whole nation. He also said that he had asked the home ministry to investigate whether the VHP had a role in the attacks.
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burnt down. The houses that were burned down were not related to Jaya Singh. Eight houses in the same area belonging to Hindu Dalit families were left intact. The entire attack had completed by afternoon.
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According to the All India Federation of Organizations for Democratic Rights, the agitation of the tribal people was combined with this mob assault on Christians in the media coverage of the event.
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Then They Came for the Christians: A Report to the Nation : Report of an All-India Fact Finding Team, Constituted by All India Federation of Organisations for Democratic Rights (AIFOFDR)
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are displaced from their lands and driven deep into the forest. This is the primary point of conflict between both the area's tribal people and non-tribal people.
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The investigation by the All India Federation of Organizations for Democratic Rights reported both were separated incidents. The investigation reported that the
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The politics behind anti Christian violence : a compilation of investigation committee reports into acts of violence against the Christian minorities
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The rivalry between two trade unions, one known as Mozdur Sangha led by a Christian man and the other Utkal Sangha started by a local leader of the
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Kishore Chandra Jagdeb Ray, will investigate the issue. Gomang also said the commission will now also be asked to investigate the
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The Orissa Chief Minister, told the state Assembly in March 1998 that five officials the circle Inspector of police,
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63,000 was stolen. Next day the tribal people began their agitation under the leadership of Chasi Mulia Samiti's, an
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and the Utkal Sangh seized the opportunity of the agitation by the tribal people to attack the Christian settlement.
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activist. This rivalry is reported to have caused tensions between the Christians and the Hindus in the region.
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told the State Assembly in March 1999 that a single-man commission, led by retired Judge from
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the bus managed to flee along with his bus, which angered the agitating tribal people.
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was an incident of violence that took place in the town of Ramgiri-Udaygiri in
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11 of the prisoners who had fled from the sub-jail were rearrested by police.
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Some people robbed a private bus carrying some of the contract workers to
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While, the Chasi Mulia Samiti blamed the local leaders of RSS and the
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Parivar was involved in various communal activities during this time.
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All India Federation of Organisations for Democratic Rights (1999).
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All India Federation of Organisations for Democratic Rights 1999
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All India Federation of Organisations for Democratic Rights 1999
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All India Federation of Organizations for Democratic Rights
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on December 8, 1999. Two prisoners who were arrested for
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Human Rights and the Third World: Issues and Discourses
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They demanded that the 122:92 - 111 Christian houses burned down 7: 1001:Hinduism-motivated violence in India 996:Violence against Christians in India 732:"Ultras, zealots, both misuse faith" 228:Violence against Christians in India 187:2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal 110:Several government vehicles torched 703:Farz, Ahmed (September 12, 2008). 14: 459:Assistant Sub-Inspector of police 197:2008 Kandhamal nun gang rape case 965:Bagchi, Subrata Sankar (2012). 455:Deputy Superintendent of Police 128:Police station partially burned 451:Additional District Magistrate 409:Attack on Christian settlement 278:1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence 177:1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence 22:1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence 1: 1016:December 1998 events in Asia 304:and other Sangh-affiliates. 357:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 298:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 233:Religious violence in India 1037: 773:"Another attack in Orissa" 16:Violence in Odisha, India 632:PTI (December 9, 1999). 600:PTI (December 9, 1999). 1021:1998 in Indian politics 634:"5 officials suspended" 501:Prime Minister of India 487:Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad 192:2008 Kandhamal violence 926:. Delhi: Media House. 920:Puniyani, Ram (2006). 425:Bharatiya Janata Party 302:Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram 125:2 Churches burned down 444:1999 Ranalai violence 429:Vishva Hindu Parishad 238:Religious persecution 182:1999 Ranalai violence 1006:1998 crimes in India 504:Atal Bihari Vajpayee 971:. Lexington Books. 771:CHAUDHURI, KALYAN. 223:Freedom of religion 152:Christians in India 117:Buildings destroyed 396:Attack on sub-jail 330:cottage industries 39:Ramgiri-Udaygiri, 978:978-0-7391-7736-5 440:Orissa High Court 373:Arunachal Pradesh 282:Gajapati District 274: 273: 134: 133: 59:Mass mobilization 41:Gajapati district 1028: 982: 959:Available online 956: 945: 907: 906: 904: 903: 889: 883: 882: 880: 879: 874:. 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Index

Gajapati district
Odisha
a series
Violence against
Christians in India

1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat
1998 attacks on Christians in Dangs district
1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence
1999 Ranalai violence
2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal
2008 Kandhamal violence
2008 Kandhamal nun gang rape case
2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
2021 anti-Christian violence in Karnataka
Freedom of religion
Violence against Christians in India
Religious violence in India
Religious persecution
v
t
e
Gajapati District
Odisha
dacoity
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram
Sangh Parivar
small scale
cottage industries
tribal people
Sangh Parivar

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