VZCZCXRO9329
OO RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHCI #0385 3600925
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 260925Z DEC 07
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1806
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 1704
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 0777
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 0782
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0516
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0371
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0515
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0418
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2208

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000385 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI ASEC IN
SUBJECT: HINDUS AND CHRISTIANS CLASH OVER CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS IN 
EASTERN INDIAN STATE OF ORISSA 
 
 
¶1. (U)  Summary:  Since December 24 one person has been killed, 
at least 30 persons  injured and several churches have been 
damaged as tribal Christians and Hindu fundamentalists have 
clashed over Christmas celebrations in the eastern Indian state 
of Orissa.  Trouble started on December 24, when a local Hindu 
group linked to the Hindu fundamentalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad 
(VHP) objected to a welcome arch being built as part of the 
Christmas decorations in the town of Bamunigaon.  While Orissa's 
administration tried to contain the violence by imposing curfew 
and by arresting the arsonists, Christian groups complained of 
the authorities' lapses and inability to protect religious 
minorities.  This recent religious violence demonstrates that 
Christian groups are now more willing to retaliate against 
perceived persecution as Orissa continues to be communally 
polarized eight years after the death of Australian missionary 
Graham Staines in a fire set by VHP members.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) One person was killed, approximately 30 people injured, 
and ten churches damaged as Hindu and Christian groups fought 
with each other in Orissa's Kandhamal district during Christmas 
celebrations.  The tribal-dominated area is located in Central 
Orissa, about 80 miles west of state capital Bhubaneswar. 
Violence, which started at the Bamunigaon area, soon spread to 
other locations.  The district administration imposed curfew at 
Phulbani, Baliguda, Daringbadi and Bamunigaon and arrested 25 
persons for arson.  The situation remained tense on December 26, 
although there were no further reports of violence. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Trouble started on December 24 when a local Hindu 
group of the VHP objected to the welcome arch being built as 
part of Christmas decorations in Bamunigaon, complaining that 
the arch was inappropriately large.  An altercation followed 
between the VHP and the organizers, who were Christians 
belonging to the local Kui tribe.  Reverend P.R. Parichha, 
Director of Bhubaneswar-based India Evangelist Association, 
later told post that the VHP men attacked with guns and swords. 
One person was killed and three others were injured.  Violence 
soon spread to other areas.  The Roman Catholic Church at 
Baliguda town was attacked by a mob and ransacked.  The church's 
computer center was  destroyed and an ambulance was set on fire. 
 
¶4.  (U) The violence continued on December 25, when the convoy 
of Baba Laxmanananda Saraswati -- a local spiritual leader 
connected to the VHP - was attacked by the tribal Christians 
while on its way to Bamunigaon.  Although the leader escaped, 
the attack enraged his disciples.  Christian groups accused 
Laxmanananda of inciting the violence.  The VHP mob retaliated 
by damaging the Bamunigaon church and attacking the Church of 
North India (Anglican) church (CN) at nearby Baliguda.  A World 
Vision outreach office at Daringbadi was also damaged and two 
jeeps and a motorcycle were set on fire. 
 
¶5.  (U) The Police Station at Tikabali -- a block headquarters 
-- was surrounded and two police jeeps were burned.  Two 
churches in Chakapadu area were attacked and people were beaten 
up during the service.  Meals prepared for a feast were 
destroyed.  No church service was allowed in Phulbani, even 
though the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police 
were present.  The district administration said the churches 
would have to conduct services at their own risk.  The 
Chandballi Baptist Church in Balasore district was attacked 
during the services as well. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT:  These recent communal clashes come eight 
years after the death of Australian Missionary Graham Staines 
and his two sons in 1999, when they were burned to death by a 
VHP mob while they slept in a van.  Since then, although there 
has been a persistent undercurrent of tension between the two 
communities, Orissa has experienced no major episode of communal 
violence.  Christian groups have complained to post about the 
slow and inadequate response by the Orissa state administration 
to the clashes.  The lack of an adequate response by authorities 
reflects the poor local governance and the tacit support of the 
VHP by the state-ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which governs in 
coalition with the national Bharata Janata Party (BJP).  The 
current round of communal strife was unusual in that Christian 
groups, who so far have always been at the receiving end of 
threats by the VHP, were willing to retaliate so forcefully. 
 
JARDINE