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Journalism of Courage
Orissa’s Kandhamal district witnessed a peaceful Christmas without anti-Christian riots of last year and the year before casting a shadow,as hundreds of securitymen kept watch.
“We are happy that the people joined hands to celebrate Christmas in Kandhamal. There was absolutely no report of any untoward incident,” District Collector Krishna Kumar,who was instrumental in bringing down tension last year,said.
Father Mathews,a priest in a Catholic church at Phulbani confirmed the peaceful celebrations. “There was no trouble. Christians were able to attend midnight mass last night without fear.”
Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar said 34 platoons of the Orissa Special Strike Force,IRB,Orissa Special Armed Police,Special Police Officers and police were deployed in the absence of central forces.
One platoon comprises 30 personnel. There were special security arrangements at sensitive places including G Udaygiri,Tikabali,Raikia,Baliguda,Daringbadi and Kotgarh,a senior police official said.
Trouble had broken out on December 24,2007 after an attack on VHP leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswati. Riots had followed after his killing on August 23 last year that claimed at least 38 lives and led to damage of a large number of churches and prayer halls.
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