Amidst tight security and a 12-hour bandh call by a local tribal body, Odisha's communally sensitive Kandhamal is all set to celebrate the Christmas tomorrow.
"We have deployed more than 42 platoons of force including personnel of CRPF in the entire Kandhamal district for the occasion," Kandhamal SP K B Singh told PTI.
Christmas is being celebrated in about 800 churches, prayer houses and prayer cottages across Kandhamal, which witnessed a large scale ethno-communual riot in 2008 leaving at least 38 persons dead and damage of hundreds of places of worship.
The dawn-to-dusk band call is given by the Kui Samaj Samanya Samiti (KSSS) which demanded fulfilment of some local problems. The tribal apex body, had submitted a memorandum demanding fulfilment of 34-point charter of demands with the state government after the riot. While many of the demands have so far been fulfilled, others were yet to be met.
"We appeal to all the Christian believers to observe their festival on that day smoothly in traditional manner or as they like smoothly, but the KSSS after discussing with its branch committees has finally decided to observe a bandh in Kandhamal for the batter interest of the people," KSSS secretary Lambodar Kanhar, who is also the local BJP leader, told reporters here.
The KSSS demands included strict action against those who have used fake caste certificates to get government jobs and avail other government benefits. Sources said the organisation also plans to hold memorial meetings in different parts of the district to observe the death anniversary of a tribal killed during the riots at Barkhama near Baliguda on December 25, 2007.
Kandhamal District Collector Yamini Sarangi said the administration had requested KSSS to refrain from observing bandh on Christmas day.
However rejecting the appeal of the district administration, Kanjhar said the organisation will go ahead with the proposed agitation.
(Reopens CES2)
Around 300 bandh supporters, including Dasrath Gagrai, the JMM MLA from Kharswan, were taken into preventive custody while enforcing the Jharkhand bandh in Seraikela Kharswan district and as many people were detained in East Singhbhum district, the police said.
Senior vice President of JMM Champai Soren, an MLA, was reportedly put under house arrest with adequate force deployed in and around his residence at Seraikela, the police said.
Besides setting ablaze of a bus and a water tanker, there were reports of torching of vehicles and setting afire a heap of tyres while putting up road blockade, the police said.
