National People’s Tribunal to Probe Kandhamal violence

The National Solidarity Forum (NSF) – a countrywide platform of concerned civil society organizations has called for observation of 25 August 2010 as ‘Kandhamal Day’. Thousands of Christian minorities in the Kandhamal region of Orissa were victims of organized violence by Hindu fundamentalists for over nine months starting in August 2007 and even today are yet to obtain justice or rehabilitation.

Human rights groups estimate that in the months of violence against Christian minorities over 100 people were killed, including women, disabled persons and children, adivasis and dalits. Three women were gang-raped and many injured. 295 churches, big and small, were destroyed. 13 schools, colleges, and offices of 5 NGOs damaged. About 30,000 people had to live in relief camps for months.

The NSF aims to take up solidarity actions to help the victims and survivors of the Kandhamal violence. With a view to creating pressure on the Indian government it also plans to organize a national level People’s Tribunal on 22, 23 and 24^th August, 2010 at the Constitution Club in Delhi.

Among the objectives of the Tribunal will be:

1. To assess the role, conduct and responsibility of various organizations, group of individuals or persons, in influencing, precipitating or escalating the violence
2. To assess the role played by the Administration and police before, during and after the pogrom
3. To study and analyse the various aspects of the problems faced by survivors and victims of violence
4. To recommend both short-term and long-term measures for the necessary reparation, peace building, justice delivery, prevention of communal violence and strengthening secularism

The NPT will have a panel of Jury members consisting of persons of national repute and credibility with required expertise to spearhead the process. The process shall include review of relevant documents and reports, field studies, hearing testimonies of survivors, witnesses, victims, concerned human rights’ activists, civil society organisations, experts, government representatives, local organizations and others.  The process will culminate in a three-day public hearing on 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th July, 2010 at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. About 250 people including 50 victims, experts, media persons, activists, researchers, international observers, legislators and others will participate in the Tribunal proceedings.

On the same dates as the tribunal an exhibition with articles from the site of the violence and paintings narrating human stories from Kandhamal will be held at the Constitution Club. The National Solidarity Forum has called for a national and international public action in the form of protests, public meetings, exhibitions, film screenings and other civil society organizations on August 25, 2010, to demand justice to the victims of Khandamal communal massacre.

For further information contact: Dhirendra Panda, Cell: 09437385757; Email ID: nptkandhamal@gmail.com , dhirendrapanda@gmail.com, Address: A-124/6, First Floor, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi, India – 110 016

Related posts:

1. National People’s Tribunal on Kandhamal, 22-24 August 2010
2. TRIBUNAL ON KANDHAMAL OPENS IN DELHI
3. National tribunal on Kandhamal violence to be held in New Delhi