Fearing arrest, Kandhmal tribals flee

Times of India 10 Oct 2008, 0223 hrs IST, Rajaram Satapathy,TNN

Fearing arrest, Kandhmal tribals flee  Print   Email   Discuss  Share  Save  Comment Text:

BHUBANESWAR: As the police crack down on the rioters in Kandhmal district in Orissa, hordes of tribals are deserting their villages and hiding in  Children study in a makeshift classroom at a church in Cuttack. (Reuters Photo) forests. This new phenomenon began only a few days ago after chief minister Naveen Patnaik, now under pressure from the Union government to check the violence, ordered a massive crack down on people indulging in riots. As the Centre shot a series of strong warnings to the state government and began to review the situation, the number of arrests in Kandhmal district shot up to 575. "Several villages have been nearly emptied in view of largescale arrests. Most people have run away from their villages," said a senior official. Kandh tribals of Kandhmal, who had been at war with the Panas (belonging to Scheduled Caste), majority of whom are Christians, are currently in focus in the backdrop of continuing attacks on Christians.  more