Renaissance & Retribution - Kandhamal, Odisha Part 1

"A true renaissance man, the late 82 year old Swami Lakshmananda taught the Tribals organic farming and proper animal care. He opened free day & night schools for children and adults. He opened free clinics and accompanied frightened Tribals fighting for their lands to court hearings and Govt offices. He turned the people from alcoholism towards productivity. However he was assassinated as he prepared to celebrate Krishna's Birthday at one of the many free schools he had built. Kandhamal exploded into violence as the Kandha people reeled under the shock and terror of the assault.

After my first investigation into the Kandhamal crisis I wrote a 450 page report entitled 'Orissa in the Crossfire-Kandhamal Burning' Read online here http://www.scribd.com/doc/34732553/ORISSA-in-the-CROSSFIRE-Kandhamal-Burning

I went back for a follow up investigation in 2011. What follows is Part 1 of over 13 HOURS OF INTERVIEWS, unedited and raw. These are not interviews with merely the experts alone but are first-hand accounts from the native tribal people themselves. Hear them share their direct testimony and recollections of events as they actually happened. Learn of the ongoing efforts to dis-inherent them from their lands, their cultures and in many cases their very lives.

This investigation includes a 3 hr interview with the late Justice S C Mohapatra, who headed the Commission probing the 2008 Kandhamal violence, interviews with Orissa Govt Minister and KandhaTribal Manoj Pradhan and Kandha Tribal Chief Lambodar Kanhar among other community leaders.

Odisha, Commonly known as Orissa,has a history going back thousands of years, Odisha was once an ancient maritime power that conducted trade from Rome to Japan. To this day festivals like Bali Yatra and Japan's Ulumbana Festival remain as testaments to Odisha's Ancient and Broad Cultural Influence.

Odisha is home to a majority of India's Tribal people. The Kandha people of Odisha are one of India's major tribal groups and they are centered in the Kandhamal District. This region of Kandhamal was once home to some of the most ancient Shiva and Buddhist temples and monasteries in the world. The famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Huen Tsang traversed the Kandhamal trail on his way to the Buddhist sites of Bihar in the year 436 AD.

Regrettably Orissa's Indigenous cultures have long been the target of various vested interests. In recent times foreign funded Maoists terror groups and foreign religious groups have ravaged the social fabric of the region. Recognizing the ongoing threats to the tribal people various Hindu groups and leaders have dedicated their resources towards the upliftment of India's Tribal communities.

One such Hindu leader was Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati. He Created an Indigenous Cultural Renaissance in Orissa's Kandhamal District. He restored many ancient tribal holy places and schools. Swamiji established Radha Krishna temples throughout the region along with over 380 Kirtan groups.

Swami Lakshmananda stated in a 2008 interview. "I was attacked on January 26, 1970. I had to hide myself in a school for over three hours. Nobody came to my rescue. Then I thought that so many Hindus were there as I was attacked but no one came forward at the time of the attack. It was then that I vowed to reignite the light of conviction in the hearts of the Hindus. I established Srimad Bhagavat classes, Radha Krishna deities and opened evening prayer and choir centers. I taught the people how to farm properly, how to worship Mother Cow and how to protect the forests."

He was later Assassinated as he prepared for Janmashtami celebrations in August 2008 by Maoists and Christian Terrorists at a Girl's School he founded.The day chosen for his assassination was also seen as an intentional provocation. The day was Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna; a day celebrated across India. The location of the assassination also caused great anguish to the tribes people. A group of armed men had descended upon the girls school, lobbing grenades and firing machine guns into the air. The headmistress of the school was gunned down as she attempted to shield the life of her mentor, the 82 year old monk and founder of the school, Swami Lakshmananda . A visiting parent along with two junior monks were also killed as the young students fled for their lives. Orissa was stunned and the entire State went into mourning.

The World Remained Silent and instead focused on the predictable response of his enraged followers-The Kandha Tribals-the most warlike tribe in Indian history. I was able to expose the false narrative that had been developed by the media. The US State Dept revised its take on the crisis in conjunction with my report stating, 'The underlying causes that led to the violence have complex ethnic, economic, religious, and political roots related to land ownership and government-reserved employment and educational benefits.'