Orissa clashes not communal — Police

“The series of clashes between the Panas and Adivasis in the area has nothing to do with religion,” said John Nayak, the additional director general-cum-director, intelligence, ruling out the communal angle to the violence. “The clash inMahjiguda under Adaba police station was between Christian Panas and and Christian tribals,” he added. DGP BB Panda also ruled out the communal angle saying “the clash is purely land-related". The Panas and the tribals of the area also agree that the conflict did not have its origin in religion.

ROLE OF NAXALS: It is possible that the conflicts are a part of a larger political gameplan of the Naxalites in the area. John Nayak believes organisations like the Peoples’ War Group (PWG), the Communist Party of India- Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) and the Red Flag are gauging the response of people in Gajapati through such conflicts before they launch into full-scale activities in other districts like Koraput and Phulbani.

Taking advantage of the land disputes between the groups they further their own cause through their frontal organisations.

THE BACKGROUND: The Panas and the tribals have been living peacefully together in Gajapati for generations. The former came in contact with Christianmissionaries and there was a gradual improvement in their social, economic and educational status. They got distanced from the tribals in course of time.

A majority of the Panas have converted to Christianity while the number of tribal converts is much less. The converts are Roman Catholics.

A patch of 14 acres of land in Majhiguda has been the cause of the simmering tension between the communities since the last three decades. “While land settlement records show that Panas are the possessors of land, the tribals maintain that the Panas have forcibly grabbed their land and acquired ownership by fraudulent means,” says John Nayak.