The Hindu : National : Houses torched in parts of Kandhamal

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Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
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Houses torched in parts of Kandhamal

Sib Kumar Das

G.UDAYGIRI (KANDHAMAL): Eleven persons were injured on Wednesday when miscreants torched houses and threw stones at Barakhama and Jaleshpeta in Kandhamal district of Orissa that has been rocked by violence for the last two days.

On Tuesday, a person was killed at Barakhama in a group clash after VHP activists resorted to violence at Brahmanigaon following an attack on senior leader Laxmanananda Saraswati at Dasingbadi.

The VHP agitation coincided with a bandh called by the tribal organisation, Kui Samaj, which started on December 25.

Tribal supporters of Kui Samaj took out armed rallies at Khajuripada and Phulbani defying curfew restrictions. According to reports, tribal agitators ransacked the Revenue Inspector’s office and attacked some vehicles at Khajuripada. The 36- hour bandh ended on Wednesday evening.

The bandh had posed a major challenge to the law and order situation. Tribals had felled over 100 large trees to block the 20 kilometre stretch of the NH 217 from Ganjam district border to G.Udaygiri. They did not allow the Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel to clear the trees. Adding to people’s woes, most telephones and mobiles in Kandhamal district remained jammed.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik called a high level meeting to review the situation. Senior administrative officials Aravind Behera and Ashok Meena who have served as Collector of Kandhamal district have been sent to the district. A peace meeting called in Phulbani on Wednesday by the administration was attended by leaders of the warring communities. District Collector Bhabagrahi Mohapatra said the real peace efforts could start only after resumption of the communication network.

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