NHRC to send a team to Orissa: State Chief Secretary and DG(P) asked to furnish details of injured, causalities and provide protection to Christians
New Delhi January 01, 2008
The National Human Rights Commission will send its Investigation Team to Kandhamal District of Orissa to get a first hand information on the violence there and also give necessary assurances to the affected. The Commission's move comes after a delegation of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) met the Chairperson, Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu, in New Delhi yesterday and gave a memorandum. The memorandum urged for NHRC's intervention to safeguard the Christians and their institutions. It drew the attention of the Commission to the attacks on Christians and their institutions in Kandhamal on December 24 and 25, 2007 and alleged that these attacks seemed to be a planned effort to disturb communal peace.
Meanwhile a group of NGOs also submitted a memorandum to the Chairperson alleging that 5,000 people had been affected by these attacks and about 600 houses had been damaged. They also alleged that the State police had sided with the perpetrators of violence and dissuaded the victims from lodging complaints against the culprits.
Considering it a serious issue of violation of human rights of the Christian community, the Commission asked the State Chief Secretary and the DG(P) to give a detailed report of the injured and causalities, if any, and also the damage caused to properties. The Chief Secretary has also been asked to specify the steps taken to provide relief and compensation to the affected persons/institutions. The Commission, further, directed the DG(P) to ensure protection to the members of the Christian community in the State.
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The National Human Rights Commission will send its Investigation Team to Kandhamal District of Orissa to get a first hand information on the violence there and also give necessary assurances to the affected. The Commission's move comes after a delegation of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) met the Chairperson, Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu, in New Delhi yesterday and gave a memorandum. The memorandum urged for NHRC's intervention to safeguard the Christians and their institutions. It drew the attention of the Commission to the attacks on Christians and their institutions in Kandhamal on December 24 and 25, 2007 and alleged that these attacks seemed to be a planned effort to disturb communal peace.
Meanwhile a group of NGOs also submitted a memorandum to the Chairperson alleging that 5,000 people had been affected by these attacks and about 600 houses had been damaged. They also alleged that the State police had sided with the perpetrators of violence and dissuaded the victims from lodging complaints against the culprits.
Considering it a serious issue of violation of human rights of the Christian community, the Commission asked the State Chief Secretary and the DG(P) to give a detailed report of the injured and causalities, if any, and also the damage caused to properties. The Chief Secretary has also been asked to specify the steps taken to provide relief and compensation to the affected persons/institutions. The Commission, further, directed the DG(P) to ensure protection to the members of the Christian community in the State.
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