Kandhamal riot victims asked to shun fear, return to villages

Assuring protection for all, Kandhamal district administration today asked riot-affected people to shun fear and return to their villages.

The call was given by communally-fragile Kandhamal's
district magistrate-cum-collector Krishna Kumar after meeting a delegation of diplomats from nine European Union countries.

"I assure all help to those who want to return to their villages," Kumar told the visiting EU delegation during his two-hour long discussion at Phulbani this morning.

Kumar, who had been in-charge of Kandhamal when the riot broke out in August 2008, told the EU diplomats that there was "no element of fear" in the district as there had been no violence for over 15 months.

"This is my message to the people who say that they are unable to return to villages due to fear of riot," Kumar said, adding the administration would ensure that all the people return to their native places.

Assuring that "full protection" would be provided to all the people, Kumar asked those facing threat to report to him directly if they had any kind of fear in mind.

Kumar's reaction came after the EU diplomats informed him that some of the affected people, during interaction with them, said they were wary of further trouble.