Saffron flag raised at church dismantled during Kandhamal violence

In an episode that could fan communal flames like that of 2008 and 2009, right-wing Hindu activists last week hoisted a saffron flag on the construction site of a Catholic church in Kandhamal, Orissa.

More than 400 fanatics were reported to have gathered near the church which apparently is one of the largest Christian settlements in the communally-sensitive district.

The incident occurred in the village of Bakingia, on Oct. 6, the Hindu festival of Dussehra.

The police although had visited the spot after a complaint, no action has been taken yet.

On the construction site, earlier stood a Catholic church that was destroyed in the anti-Christian violence of August 2008. The violence followed the assassination of a VHP leader at his ashram.

The church was being brought back to life by tribal Christian residents who had gathered building materials for reconstruction after receiving compensation from the government.

However, the reconstruction of the church could not be carried out due to protests from Hindu fanatics who claim the land belonged to their forefathers. Tensions have been running high since then.

Even negotiations between the two parties initiated by the local administration had failed.

Fr Santosh Digal of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese said "there were rumours of violence if we built the church".

"The authorities concerned had given verbal assurances that they would ensure an incident-free construction of the church," he said.

Digal expressed grief over the failure of law and order which is putting at risk the lives and livelihoods of the Christian community.

Adding to it, Fr Dibakar Pariccha, who fights for justice of Kandhamal victims, expressed "injustice is being done to Christians and government must take immediate action to settle the matter".