The Hindu : National : CPI(M) dharna against violence in Orissa

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Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
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CPI(M) dharna against violence in Orissa

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAURAM: The CPI(M) State leadership has decided to organise evening dharnas all over the State on Wednesday to protest against the attacks on Christians in Orissa.

In a statement here, the CPI(M) State secretariat called upon all secular and democratic sections of the people to join the dharna programme.

It accused the BJP-Janata Dal government in Orissa of having failed to put down the violence and the Central government of gross failure to react adequately to the situation.

Although the State government claimed that only two persons died in the violence, Archbishop Raphael Cheenath had put the death toll at eight.

The series of attacks had even hit the Orissa capital Bhubaneswar.

Around 75 Christian institutions were attacked and priests and nuns were forced to remain in hiding for several days.

Around 500 houses were destroyed in the violence planned and executed meticulously by the Sangh Parivar forces under the leadership of the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP)-Bajrang Dal combine.

It was left to parties such as the CPI(M) to wake up to the situation and an all-party meeting to bring the violence under control was called at the CPI(M) State committee office.

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