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Church
leaders in Orissa have expressed apprehensions over a
growing outfit, which they say could be a potential
threat to the communal harmony and peace in the State.In
a letter to the chief minister of Orissa, Naveen Patnaik,
Catholic and Protestant leaders said "a certain Laxmi
Baba staying in Mahindragiri in Ganjam district is
organizing an outfit on communal lines and has already
trained 300 youth as per information available."
The outfit, they conveyed, could be a "potential threat
to communal harmony and peace in the State" and hence
"steps need to be taken in time to avoid future violence
and disharmony."The leaders also expressed concern for
the 3000 victims of Kandhamal violence who are still in
government sponsored relief camps.The affected families
were unable to return to their homes due to continuing
threats from fundamentalists, they said. "They need to
be provided with security and rehabilitated as soon as
possible.”
Additionally, many of the affected people have also not
received compensation for the houses destroyed or
damaged. The Christian leaders asked the politico to
"direct the district authorities to speed up the
settlement of lands in favor of the affected people on
urgent basis.”The letter was submitted to the chief
minister by a delegation led by Archbishop of Orissa,
Raphael Cheenath. The delegation congratulated the chief
minister on his electoral victory and said the results
"demonstrate that it is a comprehensive victory for
democracy and secularism.”
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