[Reader-list] Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati's murder: Are Christian militants Involved ?

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati's murder: Are Christian militants
involved?

(Editor's note: Read the last paragraph, which mentions about
involvement of Christian militants )

Source: Daily Pioneer, August 25, 2008

Pioneer News service | Bhubaneswar

• Orissa bandh today; schools, colleges to remain closed
• Naveen announces judicial probe, ex-gratia

Widespread anger was expressed throughout the State over the brutal
killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his associates.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal activists burned tyres and blocked traffic
in different parts of the State to ventilate their anger on the
failure of the police to give protection to Swamji. He had lodged an
FIR on the local police station that his life was under threat and
had sought police protection. Within 26 hours of lodging the
complaint, he and his disciples were killed at Jalespata Ashram
under Tumudibandh block in Kandhamal district on Saturday night.

Fearing a backlash, the Kandhamal district administration clamped
curfew in Phulbani town and prohibitory orders under section 144
CrPC throughout the district. All borders of the district were
sealed. However, defying the orders, disciples of the Swami took out
the Swami's funeral procession to another ashram at Chakapada, which
is nearly 100 km away from Jalespata Ashram. More than 10,000
mourners reportedly accompanied the funeral procession. The funeral
procession went through Jalespata, Tumudibandh, Paramapanka,
Baataguda and reached Baliguda at 3 pm. It was supposed to go
through Nuaagaan, Sarangagada, Phiringia, Bisipada Chhak and
Tikabali to reach his Karmabhumi Chakapada late in night.

The people bid farewell to the departed souls with tears. People in
Baliguda could not control their emotions and they even attacked the
police and burnt a number of vehicles. Police had to resort to a
mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Reports reaching
Bhubaneswar said the people were dead against the police inaction.

VHP activists allegedly burnt down a Marshal jeep OR 07 G 5882
carrying Sisters at G Udayagiri. The Sisters were allowed to leave
the vehicle, said sources. Similarly, hundreds of supporters of
Swamiji were moving to Tumudibandh with agitated mood, where his
body was kept for last darshan.

In order to save its face, the district administration suspended the
officer-in-charge of the Tumudibandh Police Station. However, it did
not calm the anger of local people. They demanded that action should
be taken against the District Collector and the SP. "Swamji had
himself lodged the FIR. But the district administration could not
react promptly to protect the precious lives," said Sudarshan Bhoi,
a local of Tumudibandh area.

Reacting over the issue, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal have called for
a dawn-to-dusk Orissa bandh. The BJP State unit has announced to
support the bandh. In a bid to avoid further violence, the
Government has ordered closure of all schools and colleges on Monday.

In order to take stock of the situation, Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik on Sunday morning convened a high-level meeting at the State
Secretariat. "All efforts would be made to arrest the culprit," he
said, adding that additional police force has been mobilised and
combing operation is on to nab the culprit. Police sources said 20
platoons of police force and four companies of CRPF have been
mobilised to the spot.

Patnaik also ordered a judicial probe into the incident and
announced that Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia would be given to the next of kin
of the deceased.

The situation in the tribal dominated Kandhamal district "is tense
but under control" after the killing of the VHP activists last night
by unidentified attackers, Kandhamal District Collector Krishan
Kumar claimed.

Meanwhile, a small thatched structure used as a prayer house was set
afire by unidentified persons late on Saturday night at Tentulijhari
in Sundargarh district, Inspector General of Police (Western Range)
Pranabindu Acharya said.

The police have arrested Pradesh Kumar Das, an employee of the World
Vision, a Christian Charity, from Khadagpur while escaping from the
district at Buguda. In another drive, two other persons Vikram Digal
and William Digal have been arrested from the house of Lal Digal, a
local militant Christian, from Nuasahi at Gunjibadi, Nuagaan. They
have admitted to having joined a group of 28 other assailants.