The Kandhamal communal clash, which has killed 25 people so far, has turned into an ethnic strife.
Rise of scheduled tribes who converted to Christianity left the other communities in the region seething with ireBHUBANESHWAR: The Kandhamal communal clash, which has killed 25 people so far, has turned into an ethnic strife. But intellectuals say the clash in Kandhamal is just a fight between haves and have-nots.
“It is no more confined to a communal clash,” said Prof B Pathak, sociology professor of Utkal University.
Kandhas and Panas are the principal inhabitants of Kandhamal district which has a population of about 6.5 lakh people. While most of the Kandhas are Hindus, many Panas are SCs who converted to Christianity. Nearly 60 per cent of the Kandhamal populations are Kandhas.
After Christian missionaries made inroads into the district, a lot of Pana SCs who had not seen the lights of civilisation came in contact with them. Later, they embraced Christianity. After getting education, many of them became successful in their lives and held top posts in bureaucracy and politics. One among them is Radhakant Nayak, a former IAS officer, who is now a Rajya Sabha member. A few of them also became police officers.
Prof Pathak further said it was natural for a community to become jealous to see the rise and prosperity of another community within a short span. Besides, Kandhas also alleged that Panas were exploiting them and had encroached upon their land.
The trouble cropped up when the SC Panas (those who converted to Christianity) started demanding reservation status and tribal rights as enjoyed by Kandhas. This was vehemently opposed by the Kandhas.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations which claimed that tribals are Hindus then began to intervene in the tussle and started taking mileage from the resentment between Kandhas and Panas.
The VHP activists also joined hands with the Kandhas have started targeting the Panas. The VHP people thought if the Christian missionaries were not stopped, all Kandhas would be converted to Christianity. “Of course, conversion is one of the major issues,” admitted home secretary TK Mishra.
Tribal leader from Kandhamal Lambodhar Kanhar said normalcy would return to Kandhamal if the government took prompt action to fulfill the demands of tribals.
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