Orissa: Catholic regains ownership of his land taken by Hindus
Bhubaneswar (AsiaNews) - The Orissa High Court has declared illegal the attempt to confiscate the land of Rabindra Digal, a Catholic from the village of Kandhamal, by a Hindu group. The man was declared the only legitimate owner, as evidenced also by the land deed in his possession.
Following the terrible violence that struck the Christians of Orissa in August 2008, Hindu government officials - egged on by radical groups - decided to build a community center right on Rabindra’s ground. A few months ago, the villagers started digging to lay the foundations, while the local government issued an eviction order for the man, who has owned the land for years. Rabindra Digal thus appealed to the High Court to challenge the eviction and confiscation order.
Fr. Dikabar Parichha, who provided legal assistance to Rabindra, said the court order allowed his client to breathe a sigh of relief. According to the priest, many Christians like Rabindra Hindu have been tormented by government and Hindu officials because of their religious faith. He said: "We want justice for them."
However, not all Christians in Orissa will have the opportunity to spend Christmas in their home. This is the case of eleven families, originally from the district of Phulbani, forced to live for two years in the courtyard of an old market in the ruins of Udayagiri. These people can not return to their home villages, because they are threatened by Hindu neighbours. They argue that it will accept their return only if they agree to convert to Hinduism.
To try to resolve the issue, brother KJ Markos, a Monfort missionary, yesterday met Krishen Kumar, district collector of the village of Kandhamal. The missionary told AsiaNews: "The district collector has asked me to forward their requests to him, saying that they would be regarded favourably as long as they leave the marketplace." So it was, and all the families agreed to leave the area on Christmas day. Kumar met brother Markos and eleven families again, and assured them that they will be able to celebrate Christmas in safety. The transportation of people from Udayagiri to Phulbani will be provided by the Bureaux of Development (Bdo).
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