Archbishop Cheenath slams conversion charges

By: CT News Desk

Saturday, 19 September 2009, 14:38 (IST)

Statements that religious conversions went unchecked and was a reason for sparking the anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal was slammed by the Archbishop of Orissa Raphael Cheenath.

Appearing before the investigating Justice SC Mohapatra Commission, former district collector of Kandhamal Gangadhar Singh on Wednesday said religious conversions was rampant and went without following the statutory provisions of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA), 1967.

"There were many cases of conversions but few intimated the district administration," Singh said.

Archbishop Cheenath called the statements "ridiculous" and told the AsiaNews that much of Singh’s testimony is ambiguous and based on outdated information.

“Why did they not bring to light the irregularities prior to this?” he asked. “Can they prove what they say? [. . .] The Orissa Freedom of Religion Act was enacted in 1967, and only now after the wave of anti- Christian persecution, do they mention some violations of the law!

This is all a game played to make the government appear innocent.”

Apart from conversions, fake caste certificates, tensions between tribals and Dalits and others were mentioned before the Commission investigating last year's brutal violence on Christians in Orissa's communally-sensitive Kandhamal district.

Further, the Orissa police also denied receiving any threat letter against Swami Laxmananda Saraswati before he was murdered. But, former DGP Gopal Nanda said police had prior information that Saraswati was under threat from some group.

Archbishop Cheenath feels the officials’ version of events is but the latest chapter “in the game played by government authorities and the Sangh Parivar (Hindu fundamentalist group) to continue persecuting Christians.”

“Most shamefully and regrettably, officials are working with the Sangh Parivar to drive out the vulnerable Christian minority from Kandhamal,” he was quoted saying.

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