The Hindu : Kerala News : `Do not exploit tsunami victims'

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Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

`Do not exploit tsunami victims'

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, APRIL 4. The Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha has called upon the Hindu Aikya Vedi not to communally exploit the plight of the tsunami-affected people at Alapad.

At a press conference here today, the Dheevara Sabha general secretary, V. Dinakaran, said the developments at Alapad showed that the Vedi was exploiting the plight of the tsunami victims to ignite communal tension.

Mr. Dinakaran said that attempts by the general secretary of the Vedi, Kummanam Rajashekaran, to enact a Marad at Alapad would be strongly resisted. He said that Mr. Rajashekaran had not been authorised by anyone as the spokesperson of the Dheevara community at Alapad and neither did the community needed any concessions from the Vedi.

"Mr. Rajashekaran was trying to create problems at Alapad," he alleged.

`Conversion motive'

He said that any attempts at conversion by Christian organisations engaged in relief work at Alapad would be opposed. "There will not be any compromise when it comes to resisting relief and rehabilitation operations that have a conversion motive behind it," he said.

Mr. Dinakaran alleged that there were several instances to show that a section of the Christian organisations, including the Quilon Social Service Society (QSSS), engaged in relief and rehabilitation operations at Alapad lacing their acts of charity at Alapad with the message of conversion.

"Why should the Christian organisations, through such acts, create a plank for organisations like the Vedi and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to gain a foothold for fomenting communal tension," he asked.

It is the height of irresponsibility that even after three months of the tsunami, the beneficiary list for permanent houses had not been completed, Mr. Dinakaran said.

Without the completion of the list, the AKDS would not allow organisations, including the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, to start construction of such houses at Alapad.

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