Murder of Mahatma by the Church-By Ashok Sahu, IPS (Retd.), Former Addl. Director General of Police

 On the 23rd August, while doing pooja on Janmasthami, the most sacred day for Hindus, militant Christians entered into the Ashram premises at about 8.00 p.m. and pumped bullets from an AK-47 assault rifle on the frail body of an 84 years old Swamijee (Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxanananda Saraswati) at Jalespata Vanabashi Kanyashram in Kondhmal District of Orissa. After killing him brutally the Christian assailants have cut various parts of Swamijee’s body by chisel and axe, it appears. Along with him others who tried to rescue Swamijee got killed are Sadhwi Bhakti Mata who was in over all charge of the Kalyan Ashram, Kishore Baba, Amritanand Baba and a visitor guardian of an inmate of the school. The dead body of Matajee was also defiled by cut injuries which was most brutish and nasty.
     
    Swamijee had received a threatening letter which he could read only the previous evening on his return from routine tour for religious preaching. He had sought security from the local police against imminent danger to his life by a written prayer to the authorities including the District Magistrate on 23rd August. The media had broadcast on apprehensions to his life during morning news bulletins on the very fateful 23rd August.
     
    Hardly one month back, at Tumudibandh, two kilometers from his Jalespata Ashram, there was armed attack by a group of Christians when he was protesting against Cow-slaughter in the area. In the violence one of his disciples Madhu Baba had sustained fatal cut injuries. Following the incident the State Government had deployed one platoon of armed CRPF personnel to guard his Ashram round the clock. Swamijee, in addition to these arrangements, had an armed security person to protect him during his tours who was mysteriously absent at the time of attack.
     
    It may be mentioned that the personal security man Bhubaneswar Jani who was replaced by an emaciated, cowardice constable by the local S.P. only five days prior to the attack, was serving Swamijee for more than 10 months most sincerely jeopadising his own life. During armed attack by militant Christians on the 24th December 2007 at Daringbadi for which he was hospitalized along with Swamijee with fatal injuries. In that connection, though the Police has registered a case vide 83/07 u/s 147/148/353/323/324/307/426/149 IPC the culprits are still at large with impunity. Prior to this there were nine more attacks on Swamijee’s life and consistently the assailants were all recently converted Christians in the area. It is evident that the Catholic Church and the Baptist Church by conversion was gradually criminalizing the local youth. Few of them were also encouraged to join the Maoist group of terrorists which was proved by the way Bamunigaon Police Station was attacked and the subsequent raids in non-descript Sikarama village during December violence there, that led to recovery of more than 20 guns in a single tiny village.

 
    What is surprising is that similar raids were not conducted in other villages where there is pillage of fire-arms. More suspicious is the withdrawal of the CRPF from the Ashram and replacing the PSO to the Swamijee only five days prior to the murderous attack on 23rd August. Danger to the life of Swamijee was mounting every day since the abortive attempt on his life in last December.According to reliable sources, there was a secret meeting on 9th August 2008 in the Community Centre at Raikia attended by activists representing Church based NGOs like the World Vision, Jana Kalyan Samiti, NISWAS, ASHA, Sahara, Palli Shree, Jana Vikash etc. who regularly receive huge funds from abroad. It was also attended by Nakul Nayak, former M.P. from the ruling BJD, Krushna Para Seth the former Block Chairman from Tumdibandh, Alfansoe Baliyar Singh a notorious militant Christian from Raikia, advocate Manas Singh who was to bring activists from Bamunigaon and Daringbadi in a vehicle specifically provided by Archbishop C.Raphel. It was resolved in the meeting to eliminate Swamijee who was ‘an insurmountable obstacle against conversion and cow-slaughter in the area’.Simultaneously, they felt that by philanthropic activities among the Kondh tribes in the District he was dissuading the vulnerable poor and illiterate tribe and Panas in the area from falling prey to the allurements and fraud by the Church authorities.
     
    Sources reveal that on the 13th August a letter purportedly written by ‘Pahadia’ group of people was circulated addressed to the Swamijee that his life would not be spared, that too, within a week. Copies were supposed to be sent to the State Chief Minister, DGP, District Magistrate, District S.P. etc. besides the Swamijee and some other targets. A similar closed door meeting was reportedly held on 20th August in the Jana Kalyan Samiti at Jatani (Khurda) attended among others by Father Bijoy Nayak from Baliguda Church and Ajay Singh of Khurda, where it was decided to eliminate Swamijee, come what may. On the 23rd August night they succeeded in killing him as per their planned conspiracy.

     
    The government had clear knowledge and the authorities had detailed information, but instead of reinforcing the security arrangements, it appears that they colluded with the killers. What has failed to convince is the glaring gap in alacrity with which the Orissa Police had rounded up 63 suspects in Graham Staines murder case within 24 hours of the alleged murder and their utter failure to arrest even a single culprit even after four days of the murder of Swamijee.People of Orissa expressed their ire against the government during the dawn to dusk bundh in the most unprecedented manner for the government attributed this murder to the Naxal Maoists within minutes of the incidents. They were reminded of the callousness of the Chief MinisterNaveen Patnaik who had made a similar statement accusing the Maoists when DIG Jasvir Singh was killed but later it was revealed by subsequent investigation that the DIG was killed by his own PSO from Orissa Police. When there was prior information on danger to life of Swamijee, so much so that, the local TV channels trumpeted the whole day urging the government to save the Swamijee from imminent attack, the government apparently colluded with the killers and in order to prove his self-claimed ‘secular credentials’ the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is over active to safeguard the Christian minorities from the onslaught by the enraged Hindus whole over the State. Now the question is, why should the government first create a situation by a series of ‘omissions and commissions’ later in order to prove his ‘secular credentials’ try to protect the endangered minorities. There can not be a greater embarrassment for the ruling alliance BJP who can not escape the moral responsibility of being a party to these omissions and commissions on the part of the coalition government.

     
    It is a ghastly incident and a challenge to the advocates of pseudo-secularism that the majorities are discriminated against, to keep the minorities appeased. The pseudo secularists have proved more Christian than Pope in upholding Christianity in India. The unprecedented response to the bundh called by Hindu organizations in Orissa indicated the shape of things to come. No government how powerful it may be can function with out the co-operation from the people. Peoples elected representatives in Orissa have legislated for the first time in independent India, the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 to prevent conversion by fraud, allurements, cheating, bribery and misrepresentation. It was challenged by all the Churches in the country in the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Bench of the apex court upheld its validity and said that right to propagate does not include right to convert.
     
    Swamijee was only insisting that the Act should be strictly followed in the State. He came to Kondhmal District because there was utter poverty and illiteracy in the district with more than 70% of its population as tribals who are below the poverty line. He came there in 1967 and continued till his murder by Christians on 24th in August 2008.
     
    Similarly, Orissa was the first to enact against cow-slaughter in 1964 as per Directive Principles in the Part-IV of the Constitution. Swamijee had made the motto of his life mission to make Orissa free of conversion as well as cow-slaughter. These two Acts legislated by Orissa Assembly reflect the sentiments of Orissa people for implementation by subsequent governments.
     
    So long as these Acts are in the statute book, it is the constitutional responsibility of the government of the day to execute strictly. But the government has miserably failed. The government did not co-operate, rather criminally neglected in saving the life one man who preferred to lay down his life for the common cause.

     
    The Church supposed to preach The Gospels, ironically criminalizes the youth and with foreign funding indulges in conversion by-passing the law. Hindus in Orissa are not against any particular community or religion. They do not want any other religion to disturb their faith and social harmony by taking advantage of poverty and illiteracy in their society. Irate Hindus when, as a last resort react, at times, with violence; the advocates of ‘secularism’ cry for protection. Is it not time enough to stop conversion and cow-slaughter as a respect for the majority living in the country as a lasting measure to ensure peace and harmony in the society?

     
    As this brutal murder is directly linked with the series of incidents right from December 2007, until and unless the State Police detects the right culprits and bring them to book with out further loss of time, peoples already shaken trust on the government can not be restored and peace in the civil society can not come back. Should the government at the centre and the state want a permanent solution to these types of communal repercussions in future, they must concentrate in stopping illegal conversion, put a check on the church based NGOs, stop cow-slaughter strictly in Orissa and manage the forest land and tribal land problems with tribal welfare as the sole yardstick.This would also serve as a fitting tribute to the departed soul of Swamijee who has immortalized himself by laying down his life on the altar of the motherland.

    By Ashok Sahu, IPS (Retd.)
    Former Addl. Director General of Police.
    E-mail: ashok.sahu53@gmail.com .

 
     
what a shame
30/08/2008 12:58:22     shameless missionaries
the missionaries killed swami ji because he was doing real charity work (unlike them). he was genuinely working for the upliftment of the poor and imparting the message of dharma - the phony missionaries could not stand that. so they and their buddies (moists)came up with a plan to get rid of the "thorn" that was in their way!
Save yourself from Christianity and Islam
30/08/2008 11:18:37     Nazi POPE!
Nazi POPE's lips were SEALED when the barbaric
Christian-Maoist butchers murdered Swami ji and his disciples and instigated violence. But the same Nazi Pope has the gall to raise his voice when Hindus respond - and mind you, Hindus don't get upset easily - just check the shocking statistics in North East India - 80,000 innocent Hindus butchered by Christian barbarians over the years - Has Vatican ever spoken up against that? No. In fact, they are secretly supporting the violence against Hindus. POPE is the biggest HYPOCRITE! Do not support any Christian charities, Christian NGOs and boycott missionary schools. Christianity and Islam are the biggest curse on humanity. Save yourself from these two world conquering, spiritually devoid cults.

 
---------------- Note: Content of this blog post is writer's personal opinion and may not be SanghParivar.org or Sangh's view.

Comments

Anonymous's picture

I read comment that Indian

I read comment that Indian Christians are not beggers.But it is not like that,am not telling they are beggars..but they need money to preach Christianity.Christian missionaries are giving crores of money to indian christians inorder to buy Hindus with money. They are taking good advantage of hindu's poverty and giving such a lump amount of money for conversion. And many christians are acting like deaf,dumb,or handicapped and they are attending the conventions and after some prayers the holy men will call one by one and ask him to walk or in such a manner to make others feel like they are feeling good after the christian prayers. They just want to increase their population. So they will do anything with money. But am angry becoz, in HINDU religion there are lack of people to preach our religion

christian's picture

The church has been

The church has been persecuted for the past 2000 years.... the blood of its martyers has deepened its roots... The church's foundation is love. no christian would ever want to kill anyone for religious issues.
Indian christians are not beggars we dont need foreign funds to help our fellow brethren.. there is no proof to killing the swami... even if the christians were suspected its is animal like to kill everyone on the road... gang raping innocent women is atrocious and animal like...
we always look to God for justice.... he knows the truth and will certainly give the innocent people victory...
repent and change...
forgiveness is always avialble..
dont suffer from the wrath and anger of God

Anonymous's picture

Till date there is no proof

Till date there is no proof that Crsistians are killed swamiji..but it true that crsistians are killing lakhs of innocent BANAVASI of kandhamal by conversion.. erecting churches in their land.. Bishop's main aim to burn old BANAVASI culture.. and Bishops doing this by selling there religion... they are just cristian vendors.. if they do so...this type of riot well denitely invited by BANAVASI...

A Simple Hindu's picture

Please desist from making

Please desist from making glorius statements without proof. This article is based on facts which can be substantiated.

Dont make claims which are not substantiable.

Your words reflect your ignorance. Please go deep into the christian missionary organisations and see for yourself how they are funded.

An finally dont make judgements "dont suffer from the wrath of God". This applies more to you and the people who are here to save souls , and plant churches than to a person who has the ability to expose wrong doings correctly.

If you are really so bright, and so righteous, please print your name, and number openly. You will get similar responses from people like me.

Anonymous's picture

Really all opinion are very

Really all opinion are very entertaining in nature. But nobody want to search the fact about the riots at Kandhamal. I am not telling only the recent one but before that also. Due to many reason the harmony in Kandhamal has slowly uprooted. The crafty people from bothside have easily convinced the local people and able to take with their side. Both churches and Hindu organisation are responsible for these type of incident. It is a matter of three P. Power, Position and Possesion. Not all but many christian leaders and not all but many hindu leaders are main culprit of these type of incidents as they are solely responsible to show path to a huge mass and congregation towards intolerance to each other. But truth will reveal oneday. Still than wait and watch.

Anonymous's picture

Hello Shamim: This is a

Hello Shamim:

This is a parrot story some have been reciting for a long time. Say some thing new, yaar. We are tired of listening to those old notions.

Don't you think everyone has a right to express? If you are a Manuvadi Hindu, you would not agree with this. You would want people to say what you want to say. Right?

If everyone who favors an idea is paid by somebody, would it be unfair to say you are paid to say what you are saying. If that is the case everybody is being paid by somebody in India. And you are making India a nation paid and influenced by others. What a shame! Do not ever claim you uphold the glories of India. You must know there is no dearth of original thinkers in this country.

Your opinions lack coordination: at one point, you have blamed Christians for killing and on the other hand you blame the Maoists for terrorising CM. If CM is terrorized by Maoists, how does that prove Christians have hired them to kill a Hindu leader?

Panos have no ravalry with the tribals if you know the history of the area. Did you know who started rivalry in Orissa? There was a time the Aryan felt defiled to enter Odra land (Orissa region) because it was a land of the tribals and the chandalas. There were no brahmin priests to perform puja at Puri temple when it was built. The king had to import 10,000 priests from South India to do the rites. Vishnu Kar, a brahmin, took the help of Bhima of the Pandavas to oppress and subdue the people of Orissa so the Aryan could rule. And it became a malicious practice of most rulers to cause dissension among the subjects of this kingdom.

Anyway there is no point telling you the history when you want to dwell on the present and try to focus on some insidious game plan to perpetuate Manuvad. As Gandhari had emphasized in Mahabharat, Let the truth triumph. Finally.

Shamim's picture

Why Christians are attcked

Why Christians are attcked in Kandhmal?
One Susant has expressed that if maoists have killed Swami and four others, why the police has not been able to nab them? Secondly, why the poor Christians are targeted for retaliation?

The answers are simple. The Archbishop has turned the conversion exercise in the tribal majority district a profit making industry to which foreign money comes in millions of dollars from countries like the USA, UK,Germany, Netherlands and Australia.He employed a good sum to bribe some Maoists to kill the Swami. The converted Christians are mostly from among the Pana caste who have rivalry with the local tribe for land, jobs and money-lending business. The Church backs the Panas who easily get converted to Christianity in exchange of money.So the Panas Christians have been targeted and they were responsible for attack on the Swami on all earlier occasions.

The CM is not cool.He is cunning. He politicises the issue to win the votes by defaming some Hindu organisations. But the tribe who are proud of their identity as Hindu are more conscious than the non-oriya CM who is insensitive to their feelings. The Maoist twist was a manoevre by the Government to minimise the damage on the Christians. But the secret is out that the Maoists were hired by the Church for commiting such ghastly act. The CM, himself is terrorised by the Maoists. The local Police has been able to arrest only three persons all of whom are Christians and were trainned by the Maoists having been sent by the local Father of the Church. Sahu's article was the first account of the truth that is corroborated by subsequent findings.People like Susant are agents of Angana Chaterjee who are in the pay roll of the foreign funding agents for conversion in India.

Susant's picture

If the fight had been

If the fight had been intense as it is now in favor of Swamiji, he would not have met that fateful day. Looks like we only know how to argue after it is all over.

Look at the Maoist or whichever terrorist group that killed Swamiji. They have made it difficult even for the police to trace them out. Mr. Sahu has very rightly said, Police could round up dozens of people immediately after Graham Staines was burnt alive. But not so in the case of Swamiji because it was done by the professional killers, not by a zealot like Dara Singh.

How do we then justify the pogrom that was launched against Christians in Kandhamal when evidences do not show their involvement. Was it a faux Paus by a roving band of frenzied followers?

I have seen the Kandhamal people on television. They look so poor and illiterate. Do these people really receive foreign funds and benefit from it? I donot think Christian money has changed people's social life very much in this area.

Morever if there is conversion, why not they be brought to the book and punished under FRA which is well alive in the state? We are not with you Mr. Ashok when you talk about being a part of Sanatan Dharma and yet behave like a Parshuram. Did you know the Brahmin priests refused to precipitate for him at the end of the day because he was a blood-stained murderer.

I think you need to learn the quality of being composed and tranquil from the CM. Do not try to teach or command the government. You were only a government servant (not the government), one of the many, many IPSs Indian civil service has produced.

If further research is carried out like that of Angana Chatterji, we will all be in problem because of you. The West is taking notice of this. You must get your facts right as to who gets more funds from overseas. It is the Hindu organizations based abroad and in India as well.

We want peace, not a war. We want prosperity, not destruction. We want fare well, not just fare forward regardless of the cost.

Anonymous's picture

Maoists behind swami

Maoists behind swami murder

First Published: 02:01 IST(3/9/2008)
Last Updated: 02:04 IST(3/9/2008)

The Kandhamal district police and crime branch sleuths probing the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23 say several clues point to Maoists’ involvement.

The VHP leader's murder was the trigger for the recent communal riots in Orissa.

The fact that the assailants fired from AK-47s has strengthened the Maoist conspiracy theory as it is unlikely that less organised groups have access to such lethal weapons.

The People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) has claimed responsibility. The investigating team says there are three plausible reasons for Maoists killing the VHP margdarshak.

First, they say Maoists must have been unnerved after Saraswati's much-publicised visit to Malkangiri district on April 9. The visit took place despite Naxalite threats.

“The Maoists may not have liked the Swami entering Malkangiri to launch initiatives among tribals, as this would hurt Naxal recruitment,” a senior police official told HT. Second, Naxalites have targetted RSS/VHP leaders as they describe the Salwa Judum phenomenon in neighbouring Chhattisgarh as a “creation of Hindu fascists and capitalists”.

Malkangiri SP Gajbhiye told HT, “When advocate Prabir Das was killed in Malkangiri district few months ago, the police found a letter by the Maoists at the spot which said Das was being killed for his RSS links.”

The third reason could be the Naxalites' failure to make inroads into the strategically-located Kandhamal district. A strong base in the dense jungles of the district would open doors to the coastal plains of Orissa via Ganjam and Nayagarh districts.

A senior police official said: “Maoists were not very successful in recruiting cadres in Kandhamal district as Swami Laxmanananda had a major influence on tribals in the district.”

Another theory is that the murder could be the handiwork of local Maoists without authorisation from higher-ups.

Praying Indian 's picture

Mr Sahu - None of us reading

Mr Sahu - None of us reading your account of what happened to the Swamiji have no way of verifying your statements. Let me state with concern and respect - First of all God loves you and every Hindu as much as He loves any Christian.

Christianity is a misunderstood faith - to many it is raising of an army, it is coversion of poorer people to show numbers , bringing in foreign funds to destabilise the nation. Some have gone on to say that the CIA is behind the church and so on. Everyone has their right to their own opinion. Christ was killed for his goodness. What else can anyone following Him expect. We will continue to be misunderstood.

True christianity is fashioned after the life of Christ as you say "the gospels". As followers of that every genuine Indian Christians condemns the killing of the Swamiji as no one has the right to take a life that God has given. To us - life is sacred irrespective of who it belongs to. God will judge the killers of the Swamiji as with everyone who has killed in Orissa. You, Mr Sahu, are also accountable to God for what you have said about the situation and written about.

One day, you, your readers, the killers or the Swamiji and other killers in Orissa and I will have to stand before the judgement throne of God personally. That day is not far. Each of us will be alone before a Holy God. The books will be opened where records of our every deed will be opened. They will be read to us and we will be required to give an account for everything we have done in our lives - good and bad. We will be required to give an account. One of the questions we will be asked is what have we done with Christ. God will separate us into two groups - those destined for Heaven and Hell. The basis of that separation is only one thing - whether he or she knew Christ as Lord or not. Call yourselves whatever - Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh... or anyother religion/faith, it wouldn't matter. Only those who have Christ will have access to life, and life eternal. Everyone else will be pushed into what the Bible calls outer darkness and Hell. How I wish none of us go there.

Hell fire will be worse than any of the things we are witnessing in Orrisa. And it will be eternal - eternal torment. Let's not kid ourselves - a righteous judge is watching us, right now. And He knows what is the truth. Many of us who truly follow Christ have laid the matters in Orissa to God. We dont have the resources, strength or the qualifications to investigate and find out who is right or who is wrong. God knows. One day we all will know. Our deeds will be exposed. The saddest thing will be that many people will be surprised that they have been genuinely believing falsehood for so long.

Let that not happen to you, your family and our readers. Let the world think what it should. The world can only kill the body, it cannot kill the soul which is more valuable than all the riches in the world. Lets look forward to things that are lasting. Let people fight their petty battles down here.

So please grab a Bible start reading John's Gospel and may God open your eyes to the truth concering Christ who gave himself for us. And I pray that you will have an opportunity to willingly bow your knee to his authority, even today. If not, we will all be forced to bow without choice one day and that day is nearing. Amen Lord Jesus come quickely.

Oracle's picture

I feel pity for your

I feel pity for your ignorance. You are still a stranger to yourself.For your sins, you have to reap the consequences in this life and the surplus carried over to your next life. No Jesus can take care of your sins.

The article reveals a dirty conspiracy by the Church authorities who wanted to get rid of the hindu monk who on their way of proselytization of the poor and the ignorant.The church clerics hired extremists and bribed with huge amount of money to get the monk eliminated.Which Gospel would forgive this sin?

By changing the faith of a poor man in exchange of medicine the Christian Missionaries are trading with religion. What is the use of conversion if hearts could not be changed.The author is a Police officer whose writing carries more worth than the voice of a creature of fear like you.Let God reveal you the truth and free you from fear!

Anonymous's picture

If whatever is written by a

If whatever is written by a police officer is valid, how authentic should be the writings of a research scholar like Angana Chatterji, attorney at law, judicials and the beaurocrats? We'd better think what we are saying. Do not fall a prey to some set patterns and mythical ideas.

Anonymous's picture

Dear Praying Indian :- The

Dear Praying Indian :- The Hellfire is bestowed upon all the christians because of the sins they have commited in name of jesus. The devil is managing the church...you see church people are greedy, they look for western money and can be quite insensitive to their brethens when western money is at stake... Please don't fall into trap of hellfire...convert back to Islam...Allah is the true god..Don;t you know you idiot ?

Anonymous's picture

look some one is praying in

look some one is praying in name of alla .
have u forgot ur past n present. the christian missionaries using money as a weapon for conversion n u .......?
working hi on ur muscle power to slaughter
innocent people.

Anonymous's picture

Wonderful reply. I agree

Wonderful reply. I agree with u.