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Violence continues in Kandhamal

PHULBANI: The situation in the riot-hit Kandhamal district of Orissa continued to be tense for the fourth day on Friday with violence against Christians taking place in the interior areas.

While more than 50 houses belonging to Christian families were burnt down in two villages along the Raikia-Phiringia Road on Thursday night, a few houses were torched in Phiringia area.

One person was killed at Sirsipanga village in Raikia area when some houses were set afire allegedly by members of the majority community.

The road link between the district headquarters town of Phulbani and Berhampur in neighbouring Ganjam district was restored after the administration removed felled trees. However, many interior roads remained blocked.

The second phase of violence started on Tuesday after miscreants blocked all the major roads in Raikia, G. Udayagiri and Tikabali areas in Ssssprotest against the killing of a man in police firing near the Raikia police station on Tuesday.

Police had opened fire when a mob attacked the station demanding release of two persons arrested for alleged involvement in violence in the wake of the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda on August 23.

Christian families, who had reached their homes from relief camps, found themselves being targeted allegedly by Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists. “Fourteen of the 30 Christian families of our village are now living in their homes after we gave it in writing to the VHP that we would return to the fold of Hinduism.

“The remaining 16 families have gone out of the district as they did not want to change their religion,” said a resident of Ladapadar village, just 15 km from Phulbani.

The Dalit Hindus also feel afraid in the rural areas of Kandhamal.

“If we don’t go to attend VHP meetings, we will be treated as Christians,” a resident of Dutimendi village under Khajuripada block said on condition of anonymity.

In Bhubaneswar, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said his government was ready to hold talks with different stakeholders to restore peace in the strife-torn district.

He is scheduled to visit the district on Saturday to take stock of the situation.

The Central government has so far written thrice to the State government asking it to restore peace in Kandhamal district.

A team from the National Human Rights Commission has reached the district to probe into the attacks on Christians.