486:'s party's 10th anniversary coincided with the turmoil. The celebration demanded that a significant number of the state police forces be relocated from districts to Bhubaneswar, the state capital. The police found it challenging to react to the developing situation in Kandhamal between 24 and 25 December. Hindutva organizations claimed the violent uprising of Hindus stemmed from Christian conversions and the actions of Maoist organizations, resulting in the 2007 Kandhamal riots.
392:
allegedly roughed up on some
Christians and vandalized the Church equipments. Saraswati claimed that a group of Christians injured him and his driver and damaged his car, while eye-witnesses and doctor's statements said that he did not appear seriously hurt. Yet, pictures of him, lying in a hospital bed were circulated widely in the internet and in the news reports. The RSS, Bajrang Dal, VHP and the
370:
on
December 24 and December 25 of 2007 to protest against granting of the ST caste status to the SC Pana Christians with the support of the groups affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The call was first made by Laxmananda Saraswati's commemoration committee. Christians were also warned not
431:
started to vandalize
Christian symbols and two young boys suffered gun injuries. The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was destroyed. This occurred before Laksmananda was attacked. On 25 December, six churches were set ablaze after the Christians were chased out. The violence continued as the members of
378:
a.m. in
Brahmanigaon after recommendation by some Christian groups for their Christmas preparations. About two hours late a large group allegedly led by a local RSS leader, Bikram Rout, arrived in the market and attempted to forcefully shut it down but the police kept it open. Later scuffles started
477:
Many members of the Hindu community have claimed that
Christian show of religiosity, and the financial privilege that enabled such an exhibition, contributed to the rioting. While some Hindu organisations suggested that disturbances were the result of ethnic tensions in the area, mainly between the
426:
a.m. on 24 December, a mob of around 500 people led again by the RSS leader, Bikram Rout ransacked the pandal and set it on fire in front of the onlooking police. The mob then went on to destroy
Christian shops and attack Christians. Gun-shots were fired, a boy was severely wounded, many Christians
283:
The violence started on 24 December and ended on 27 December 2007. Violence first broke out on
December 24 between Hindus and Christians over Christmas celebrations, where a mob of 500 to 3,000 members of various Sangh Parivar organizations desecrated several Christmas decorations and injured many
443:
On 27 December, dozens of churches were ransacked and razed in the areas of
Nuagaon, G Udaygiri Phulbani Sadar and Brahmanigaon. A Congress parliamentarian's house was also attacked by the Saffron activists and the Kui tribals, opposing tribal status for the Pana Christians. A Christian reprisal
435:
On 26 December, clashes continued all over the district, multiple houses were attacked and many were left injured, a police station in
Phiringia was set on fire. Police was found it difficult to reach the violence hit areas in the villages as protesters obstructed roads by blocking it with trees.
326:
like tribal
Kandhas. The district has been ethnically divided for decades between the tribal Kui-speaking Kandha tribals and lower caste Kui-speaking Christian Panas who occupy a dominant position in their society. The Kui Samaj, a Sangh-affiliated tribal organization claimed to represent all the
300:
against the Christians erupted after these incidents, where more than 100 churches and church institutions, 700 houses were burnt down, vandalized or damaged. During the final day of the riots there was also a Christian retaliation in which mobs burnt down about 120 houses of Hindus at different
468:
The general secretary of the Kandhamal district's Christian Endeavour Union, suggested that 100 houses belonging to Christians were burnt in Godapur, Brahmanigaon, Barakhama, and some other villages on 26-27 December 2007. He also visited Godapur and Brahmanigaon villages to take a look of the
362:
after receiving permission for the construction from the authorities. The pandal which had been constructed on the same spot for number of years was warned to be removed this year by some local Hindus because it was located in the same area where a recent Durga Puja celebrations took place. The
464:
The All India Christian Council (AICC) study team stated that in December 2007, Hindu nationalists murdered a total of 50 Christians, destroyed 730 housing units and 95 churches. In the numerous relief camps set up by State government, hundreds of displaced Christians were made to stay.
391:
am, Lakshmanananda Saraswati, while travelling to the town of Brahmanigaon for a yagna ritual in his car was forced to stop after a bus broke down in front of his vehicle. Hearing Christmas music coming from a nearby church, he sent his bodyguards to ask it to be turned down. His body guards
452:
Initial governmental reports suggested that more than 100 churches and church institutions, including hostels, convents and about 700 houses and other structures were burnt in the riots and three persons killed (all Christians). More than 837 families were left homeless. A report by the
284:
Christians. On the same day an alleged attack on Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his driver by some Christians after some of his bodyguards allegedly vandalized church equipment. Clashes between the Kui Samaj which protested the tribal status to the Christians together with groups led by
342:
blamed the Sangh Parivar of orchestrating rivalries between Kandhas and the Christian Panas in Kandhamal through Hinduization and polarizing the Kandhas ties with the panas and instigating the Kandhas against the latter's campaign for a scheduled status as a tribe.
481:
Independent experts found that in terms of the violence and planning it across the mountainous areas, the violence was orchestrated and the police had prior information about the Hindutva organisations planning to riot. The celebration of Chief Minister
444:
also took place as a Christian mob entered the Hindu quarter of Brahmanigaon and set fire to about hundred homes. Similarly a Christian mob set fire to an additional twenty homes near Gadapur. On the same day the rioting had stopped.
371:
to put-up Christmas decorations due to the fact that some Hindus also celebrated Christmas along with them. Due to these tensions several Christian groups asked for extra police protection for their Christmas celebrations.
327:
Kandha tribals who were nearly 52% of the population in the district. According to the Constitution, the reservation benefits are removed from the SCs after conversion but the Pana Christians demanded the
255:
379:
between the Hindu and the Christian merchants after the group led by the RSS leader allegedly roughed up with some Christians in the market and the market was eventually closed down.
404:
On 23 December, Hindutva-associated tribal organisations reportedly organized a rally with slogans of 'Stop Christianity, Kill Christians' with the support of Sangh Parivar groups.
1049:
331:(ST) status after the Presidential Order of 2002 which mentioned the Kui tribes in the ST category since the Pana Christians also speak the kui language. This was opposed by the
1271:
248:
158:
461:
reported 85-95 churches and 94-96 Christian institutions institutions were burnt down, vandalized or damaged; homes were also looted of jewellery and other valuables.
193:
335:(VHP), the Kui Samaj and other political leaders who depend on Hindu tribals to support their vote bank in the area. These tensions soon transformed into communal.
1216:
1186:
241:
132:
781:
1211:
163:
516:
1276:
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fled to the near-by jungles out of fear. While other reports suggest more than 3000 people belonging to Vishwa Hindu Parishad, RSS, Bajrang Dal and the
419:
Violent clashes occurred from 24 to 27 December 2007 between people led by the Sangh Parivar groups, the Sangh-affiliated Kui Samaj and the Christians.
1017:
198:
904:
1191:
1281:
1201:
1159:
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991:
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along with 12 members of the Christian community. He was beaten, brutally tortured and paraded naked as he refused to renounce Christianity.
319:
1256:
219:
140:
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places in the district. The official death toll suggested three Christians were killed but other reports put the death toll at nearly 50.
469:
situation, and suspected that these houses were burnt sown by sections of "Hinditva Activists" who may have been incited by the Maoists.
1046:
454:
654:
495:
188:
695:
1221:
168:
396:(BJP) called for a 4-hour bandh on the Christmas Day following the incident. This led to the communal tensions in the area.
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activists of the Sangh-affiliated Kui Samaj who had a strained relationship with the Pana Christians called for a Statewide
1261:
1241:
1196:
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1226:
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224:
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Despite the Kui Samaj's call for the Statewide bandh, the police opened the local market on December 24 at about 7
1236:
1206:
808:
591:
1231:
905:"An Assessment of Damage and Loss of Private Property during the Anti-Christian Violence in Kandhamal, India"
1246:
1025:
183:
1065:
1251:
428:
393:
297:
332:
285:
229:
173:
60:
853:
351:
During the last days of the 2007 Christmas, the Dalit Pana Christians were constructing a cloth-draped
323:
280:
together with the Sangh-affiliated Kui Samaj and the Christians in the Kandhamal district of Odisha.
214:
568:
458:
339:
315:
64:
41:
965:
782:"In photos: Damaged churches, broken homes are the lingering scars of the 2008 Kandhamal riots"
407:
On 23 December, Hindutva activists organized a ritual to convert Pastor Digal from the Kutikia
1165:
1155:
1138:
1128:
1111:
1101:
524:
563:
1053:
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564:"Kandhamal: Hindutva's terror | Charting the history of sangh parivar violence in Orissa"
483:
437:
408:
1180:
277:
68:
925:
879:
322:(SC) and are locally called as the Pana Christians. They were Dalits and they speak
359:
628:
1152:
Pentecostals, proselytization, and anti-Christian violence in contemporary India
1095:
457:, suggested more than 730 houses were destroyed and 95 churches were burnt. The
293:
56:
1123:
Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JPDC) (Bhubaneswar, India) (2008).
992:"A Flashback to Kandhamal Targeted Violence against Christians, 9 Years Later"
809:"Dialogue, Sacrifice and Reconciliation:A Study of Kandhamal Violence, Odisha"
1169:
1142:
1115:
528:
273:
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held two rounds of meetings with senior officials to review the situation.
629:"Ethnic Violence and Communal Polarisation in Orissa's Kandhamal District"
358:
for the Christmas celebrations, over-topping a main-street in the town of
318:
is home more than 100,000 Christians where 60% of them converted from the
86:
352:
82:
45:
364:
78:
816:
Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies,Bhubaneswar
1100:. Joseph Marianus Kujur. New Delhi, India: Sage Publications.
1097:
Margins of faith : Dalit and tribal Christianity in India
912:
Centre for the Sustainable Use of Natural and Social Resources
120:
700-730 houses (120 belonging to Hindus) were burnt or damaged
948:
946:
749:
747:
719:
717:
734:
732:
114:
100+ Christian institutions burnt down or vandalized
105:
97:
92:
74:
52:
36:
28:
23:
1047:India: Maoists Said to Recruit Victims of Violence
356:⟨a temporary decorative scaffolding⟩
159:1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat
111:100+ Churches burnt down, demolished or vandalized
966:"3,706 acquitted in Kandhamal riots - OrissaPOST"
517:"Kandhamal rises above violent past on Christmas"
592:"India: Stop Hindu-Christian Violence in Orissa"
272:refers to the violence that occurred during the
194:2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
1154:. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2015.
880:"Orissa: Fresh violence in curfew-bound areas"
478:Dalit Pana community and the Adivasi Kandhas.
1018:"Maoists Said to Recruit Victims of Violence"
807:Patnaik, Arun K; Bag, Rajesh (January 2016).
270:2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal violence
249:
8:
164:1998 attacks on Christians in Dangs district
1272:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2007
256:
242:
127:
20:
854:"In India, Churches Torched On Christmas"
199:2021 anti-Christian violence in Karnataka
952:
753:
723:
679:
432:each community clashed with each other.
590:Human Rights Watch (29 December 2007).
507:
400:Other incidents leading up to the riots
206:
150:
139:
926:"Twelve more churches razed in Orissa"
765:
776:
774:
7:
1217:Hinduism-motivated violence in India
1187:Violence against Christians in India
840:
828:
738:
690:
688:
615:
557:
555:
553:
551:
549:
547:
545:
220:Violence against Christians in India
179:2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal
24:2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal
1212:Persecution of Christians by Hindus
515:Das, Sib Kumar (26 December 2019).
562:CHATTERJI, ANGANA (January 2008).
455:National Commission for Minorities
276:of 2007 between the groups led by
14:
1277:21st-century mass murder in India
496:2008 Kandhamal nun gang rape case
189:2008 Kandhamal nun gang rape case
16:Anti-Christian violence in Orissa
101:estimates range between 3 and 50
1066:"NGO-Maoist link in Kandhamal"
387:On 24 December, at about 10:45
169:1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence
1:
1192:December 2007 events in India
655:"Quota fuel to communal fire"
1282:Marketplace attacks in India
1202:Attacks on churches in India
448:Total casualties and damages
32:24–27 December 2007 (4 days)
1257:Churches destroyed by arson
696:"Tribals hold key to peace"
290:Rashtriya Swayamswvak Sangh
225:Religious violence in India
117:837+ families left homeless
1298:
1094:Robinson, Rowena (2010).
1022:www.worldwatchmonitor.org
1150:Bauman, Chad M. (2015).
1052:22 February 2008 at the
383:Lakshmanananda Saraswati
368:⟨shutdown⟩
184:2008 Kandhamal violence
1127:. Delhi: Media House.
429:Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram
394:Bharatiya Janata Party
298:Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram
93:Casualties and Damages
1222:2007 murders in India
333:Vishwa Hindu Parishad
286:Vishwa Hindu Parishad
230:Religious persecution
174:1999 Ranalai violence
61:Religious nationalism
1262:2007 in Christianity
1242:December 2007 crimes
1197:Hate crimes in India
310:Kandha–Pana tensions
1267:Mass murder in 2007
1028:on 24 November 2015
215:Freedom of religion
144:Christians in India
1227:Kandhamal district
860:. 26 December 2007
788:. 5 September 2018
702:. 19 December 2008
682:, p. 271–274.
661:. 31 December 2008
596:Human Rights Watch
569:Communalism Combat
459:Communalism combat
347:Christmas tensions
340:Communalism combat
316:Kandhamal district
65:Ethnic nationalism
42:Kandhamal District
1161:978-0-19-020210-1
1134:978-81-7495-320-9
1107:978-81-321-0604-3
972:. 24 January 2020
635:. 12 January 2008
266:
265:
126:
125:
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1237:Murder in Odisha
1207:Looting in India
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1125:Faith under fire
1119:
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1080:
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1056:
1044:
1038:
1037:
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1024:. Archived from
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998:. 24 August 2017
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142:Violence against
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21:
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1232:2000s in Orissa
1177:
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1054:Wayback Machine
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970:orissapost.com
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1252:Arson in 2007
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1088:Bibliography
1073:. Retrieved
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1030:. Retrieved
1026:the original
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996:SabrangIndia
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790:. Retrieved
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704:. Retrieved
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360:Brahmanigaon
350:
337:
324:Kui language
313:
282:
269:
267:
178:
18:
766:Bauman 2015
294:Bajrang Dal
57:Hate speech
1181:Categories
502:References
305:Background
1170:888554934
1143:294883231
1116:671529854
1075:27 August
1032:27 August
841:JPDC 2008
829:JPDC 2008
786:Scroll.in
739:JPDC 2008
616:JPDC 2008
529:0971-751X
521:The Hindu
422:Around 10
274:Christmas
151:Incidents
53:Caused by
1070:Ndtv.com
1050:Archived
1002:16 April
976:16 April
935:15 April
889:15 April
864:15 April
792:16 April
706:13 April
665:13 April
639:13 April
601:16 April
575:16 April
534:16 April
490:See also
296:and the
133:a series
131:Part of
98:Death(s)
37:Location
106:Damages
87:looting
75:Methods
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424:
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376:
353:pandal
83:murder
46:Odisha
908:(PDF)
812:(PDF)
415:Riots
365:bandh
79:Arson
1166:OCLC
1156:ISBN
1139:OCLC
1129:ISBN
1112:OCLC
1102:ISBN
1077:2015
1034:2015
1004:2020
978:2020
937:2020
891:2020
866:2020
794:2020
708:2020
667:2020
641:2020
603:2020
577:2020
536:2020
525:ISSN
338:The
314:The
268:The
29:Date
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