Mangalore: Book with shocking facts of Kandhamal released
By Melwyn Pinto SJ - Mangalore
Mangalore, Apr 24: A book on Kandhamal titled, Kandhamal – a blot on Secularism, with shocking and rare facts, hitherto not picked by the mainstream media, was released here on Friday by Basavaraj Devaru Swamiji of Revanasidheshwar Math, Dharwad. Eminent secular activists, including former justice of the High Court, M. F. Saldanha, and writer Prof. G. K. Govinda Rao were present at the function.
In his address Justice Saldanha said that systematic efforts were being made in India to destroy constitutional machinery. “After each communal disturbance judicial inquiries are set up. One needs to question the usefulness of these enquiries as there is absolutely no useful outcome arrived at,” he said.
(L-R) Author Anto Akkara, Swamiji Basavaraj Devaru, Justice M. F. Saldanha and Prof. Govinda Rao
Showing his concern at the government apathy in taking due measures to stop the violence in Kandhamal, Justice Saldanha said that government officials were becoming victims at the hands of the leaders. “The question is not what happened in Kandhamal, but why it happened. Government must take serious note of this. Otherwise this country will not be a safe place for minorities,” he added.
Speaking on the book, Prof Govinda Rao said that what happened in Kandhamal had nothing to do with religion, or culture. It had everything to do with politics and malicious designs of communal forces. “Real Hinduism is preached by Gandhi, Kabir, Basavanna, and not by these self-proclaimed guardians of Hinduism,” he said.
Further Prof. Rao said that one was born in a religion by accident. “If one can change his or her ideologies at will, can join the political parties they want, one also must have the right to change the religion he/she chooses. If someone comes in the way of this freedom of choice he is nothing less than a terrorist,” he opined.
Terming Democracy and secularism as the modern religions, Prof Rao added that all citizens had the right to uphold these religions. He called upon all to become strong in strengthening the secular fabrics of the country.
In his presidential address, Basavaraj Devaru Swamiji noted that what was happening in Karnataka was a continuation of Kandhamal. He took strong exception to the fact that very many religious leaders had not reacted strongly against the communal forces dividing communities in Kandhamal and Karnataka. “A great majority of people in our country belong to minority communities, SCs and STs. If all of these people can join hands we can defeat communal forces and build a strong secular country,” he said.
The author of the book, Anto Akkara, presented few of his rare findings in Kandhamal. “The mayhem that took place in Kandhamal was not spontaneous. It was orchestrated and well planned. “The funeral procession of Swami Lakshminananda Saraswati moved like an oyster along zigzag and rugged paths covering nearly 250 kms over two days, instead of half the distance it should have taken along main roads and completed in several hours,” pointed out Akkara
Even seven months after the Kandhamal carnage, only 633 had been arrested despite 11348 being named in 784 FIRs charged with serious offences like murder and rioting, pointed out the author who had made half a dozen arduous investigative visits to Kandhamal jungles. Such immunity, he pointed out, “raises serious questions about the secular credentials of the nation that prides itself in the fundamental freedom of faith and equality under Indian constitution.”
Threats, intimidation and boycott to force the returning Christians forsake their faith is continuing unabated in many villages in Kandhamal, the author said.