Tensions reportedly started with violent incidents over Christmas 2007 which resulted in the burning of over 100 churches and church institutions, including hostels, convents, and over 700 houses. Three persons were also killed during the three days after Christmas.[11][12] The Hindutva groups and activists of the Kui Samaj were mostly involved in the 2007 attacks.[13]
The Kui Samaj called for a Shutdown on December 25, 2007 to protest against the allowing of ST caste status to the SC Pana Christians. With the shutdowns on Christmas Day, Christians, Christian institutions and Churches targeted by activists belonging to the Kui Samaj and the VHP. Christians were killed and churches were burnt and damaged in the violence during the Christmas of 2007 that slowly calmed down till the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda, which created a massacre during August 2008.[23] The National Commission for minorities reported that the tensions between the Kandha and the Pana tribals were partly responsible for the agitation and violence.[24]
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The Human Rights Watch reported that the first wave of violence occurred on December 24, 2007 during an argument between Christians and Hindus over Christmas celebrations in the Kandhamal district. A Christian group attacked a vehicle belonging to the VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati and in retaliation 19 Churches were completely burned down and razed.[12][13] The Hindutva groups and the activists of the Kui Samaj were mostly involved in the 2007 attacks.[13]
From December 24 to 27, 2007, at least three persons were killed and over 100 churches and church institutions, including convents and hostels, about 700 houses and other structures were burnt during the riots.[11]
The VHP and Bajrang Dal called for a statewide shutdown on Monday, 25 August 2008. Activists from the BJP, VHP, the Hindu Jagarana Samukhya and the Bajrang Dal staged protests and blocked traffic in nearly all district headquarters towns in the next morning demanding the detention of the Lakshmananda's killers. Businesses, banks and all schools and universities stayed closed as directed by the government.[8] The police in the state stood mostly as silent observers to the harassment of those who had stepped out of their homes during the bandh. On the same day, rioters attacked a Christian orphanage at Khuntpalli village in Bargarh district. A local Hindu woman employee in her 20s was gang-raped and burnt alive by the mob after she was mistaken for a Christian, when the orphanage was set on fire.[40][41]
On 16 October 2008, in an interview to PTI the IG police Arun Ray told that "Maoists trained certain youths of the tribal community to eliminate Saraswati", the "tribal community" believed by the Hindu Extremist to be a reference to the converted Christians of the region led to the "Fuel in the Fire" in the riots. The plan to eliminate Lakshmanananda was made in 2007, he added. Elaborating the probe by the crime branch, Ray said investigations also showed that a group had collected money from some villages in Kandhamal which was given to the Maoist group to train their youth for the purpose. The police said that they already arrested three persons, including two tribals and others who belong to the extremist Maoist groups and efforts were now on to arrest the other accused.[89][90][39]
Human Rights Watch, a US-based outfit, expressed extreme dismay at the mob violence against Christians instigated by the VHP. The organization also expressed concern at the state government's lack of action following the Christmas 2007 violence.[111]
Gray langurs are flexible in their habitat choice and, correspondingly, are found in a large range of habitat types and environments (Sugiyama 1976; Oppenheimer 1977; Bennett & Davies 1994). They range from arid habitats to tropical evergreen rainforests, including all forest types excepting dense rain forest and range higher than 4000 m (13123.4 ft) above sea level including areas that receive winter snows. Other habitats include evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, broadleaf forest, subtropical pine forest, riverine forest, dry open scrub, open park woods, desert areas, mountain foothills, mountain forests, Himalayan oak-coniferous forests, dry deciduous habitats, subtropical evergreen forest, temperate coniferous forest, sub-alpine forest, grasslands, meadows, scrub, scrub forests, mixed grasslands and forest, moist deciduous habitats and even villages, towns, residential areas, tourist areas, temple grounds orchards and areas under cultivation (Sugiyama 1976; reviewed in Vogel 1977; Bishop 1979; Roonwal 1981; Curtin 1982; Mathur & Manohar 1990; Newton 1992; reviewed in Bennett & Davies 1994; Mathur & Manohar 1994; Pirta et al. 1997; Chaudhuri et al. 2004; Rajpurohit et al. 2004). They are rarely found in evergreen forests (Bennett & Davies 1994). They adapt well to habitats in close proximity to humans, living even in built-up areas including markets (Bennett & Davies 1994). In fact, gray langurs inhabit the city of Jodhpur, India, a city of over a million inhabitants (Waite et al. 2007). The rainfall in their habitats also varies greatly; from under 10 cm (3.9 in) annual precipitation to over 200 cm (78.7 in) (Oppenheimer 1977). Among the species, S. dussumieri is found in moist deciduous forest, dry scrub forest, dry scrub desert, dry deciduous forest and tropical broadleaf forests. S. schistaceus is found in temperate coniferous and broad leaf forests (reviewed in Kirkpatrick 2007). S. ajax is found in temperate oak-coniferous forests which encounter snowfalls during the winter (Oppenheimer 1977).
Predators of gray langurs include leopards (Panthera pardus), dholes (Cuon alpinus) and tigers (P. tigris) (Boggess 1976; Ross 1993; Andheria et al. 2007). Wolves (Canis lupus) may be a predator, as may be golden jackals (Canis aureus) (Boggess 1976; Newton 1985). Upon sighting snakes, gray langurs have been seen to mob the reptiles (Srivastava 1991).
El Niño events can cause droughts which can severely affect gray langur populations. For example, as a result of such phenomena, two monsoons failed between 1999-2001 and natural-habitat langur populations suffered large reductions. However, urban-dwelling populations were able to weather such events with only minor population losses due to provisioning (Waite et al. 2007).
Kirkpatrick RC. 2007. The Asian colobines: diversity among leaf-eating monkeys. In: Campbell CJ, Fuentes A, MacKinnon KC, Panger M, Bearder SK, editors. Primates in perspective. New York: Oxford U Pr. p186-200. 2ff7e9595c
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