April 6, 2010: The commission probing the 2008 anti-Christian riots in Orissa says it needs two more years to complete the task as political parties, religious groups and the media have almost ignored it.

Government set up the one-man Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra commission to inquire the violence that followed the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader on Aug 23, 2008. Its six month tenure was twice extended but could not make any headway, Mohapatra said in an interview.

“I have issued letters to all major political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the ruling Biju Janata Dal, but most of them have not filed their statements before the commission yet,” Justice Mohapatra said in an interview published in Times of India.

Some 90 people, mostly Christians were killed in the seven week long violence that also displaced housands of Christians from their homes, leading to widespread concern among Christians and secular groups.

The commission issued about 60 notices, including to media organisations, political leaders, columnists and academics and tribal and Christian organizations. But the response was tepid with almost all ignoring it.

Except for the Communist Party of India, no other political party responded, the justice said.

Among the few others responded include Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, tribal group Kui Samaj and Hindu rightwing organization Hindu Jagaran Manch.

“Some BJP leaders also filed their responses in their individual capacities,” he said.

The extended tenure of the Mohapatra investigation ends September 17, 2010, and another extension is inevitable as it made no serious progress.

“I am not at all happy with the pace of the probe. I need to find out the root of the matter. I need at least two more years to complete the probe,” Mohapatra said.

Mohapatra, a former Orissa high court judge, was appointed in October 2008 to probe the murders and the subsequent violence.