Christian leaders today demanded jobs and compensation to the victims of sexual assault.
Accusing Orissa government of failing to "wipe the tears" and "heal the wounds" of the riot-hit people in Kandhamal district even two years after communal violence, Christian leaders today demanded jobs and compensation to the victims of sexual assault.
"Orissa government cannot abdicate its responsibility in rebuilding houses of riot victims and rehabilitating women who were sexually assaluted during Kandhamal violence," Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Archbishop Raphael Cheenath told
reporters here.
Stating that two years had elapsed since the riots claimed at least 38 lives in 2008, the Archbishop claimed that besides the nun rape case at K Nuagaon, two other women faced same brutality during the riot. But there was no compensation for the other sexually assualted women, he said.
"At least 35 women were sexually abused during the riot," said Swarupananda Patra, president of Orissa Minority Forum, who shared the dais with the archbishop at the media conference here.
Claiming that a large number of women riot victims had fallen to trafficking and even landed in prostitution as their grievances were not addressed at appropriate time. "A study conducted by a Mumbai based women college showed that many women were subjected to gender violence during the riot," the archbishop said demanding immediate compensation and employment for them.
"While the state government is pro-active about compensating industrially displaced people, it exhibits abject behaviour while dealing with the minorities," Cheenath said adding this shows Orissa government's "priorities and intentions" with regard to minority welfare.
Terming the amount given for house building as "grossly inadequate", the archbishop said that the amount of compensation was fixed without consulting the victims who lost
their lifetime earnings in the riot.
However, Church bodies have helped rebuild about 2,500 houses from their limited resources while 3,500 houses remain
helf-built or unbuilt, he said adding help was received from different churches across the globe.
Refusing to divulge the amount received from churches in other countries, the archbishop said Orissa government must follow examples of other state governments and ensure thorough investigation of all criminal cases so that the guilty were punished for their heinous crimes.
Alleging that about 4,000 people belonging to 20 villages were still unable to return to their houses due to fear, the archbishop demanded adequate protection for victims, witnesses during trial of cases.
"The state government must reopen all criminal cases and order proper investigation with modern investigative techniques and experts," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}