Bhubaneswa: The tribal Kandhas of Kandhamal have sought a clarification from the Orissa government on purpose of the visit of an European Union delegation to the district.
"The visit by EU diplomats was aimed at encouraging
conversion activities in Kandhamal district," said Baliguda
MLA Karendra Majhi, also a tribal leader from Kandhamal.
Majhi along with L K Das, general secretary of the
Banabasi Kalyan Samiti and tribal leader Padmanabha Pradhan,
told reporters that though the EU delegation claimed to have
interacted with all stake holders in Kandhamal, they did not
meet tribals and local people's representatives.
Instead of meeting all stakes holders, the EU
delegates met a section of the community indicating that they
had visited Kandhamal for the welfare of one section and not
all, Majhi claimed.
While the EU team met the archbishop and missionaries,
they did not bother to interact with the Shankaracharya or
local tribals in Kandhamal, he said.
"The two-day activities of EU delegation confirmed
that they are interested in a particular community and not
for all those suferred due in the riots," Majhi claimed.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 06, 2010, 22:21