| 2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal | |
|---|---|
| Date | 24–27 December 2007 (4 days) |
| Location | |
| Caused by | Hate Speech, Religious Nationalism, Ethnic nationalism, Ethnic tensions |
| Methods | Arson, murder, looting |
| Casualties and Damages | |
| Death(s) | 3-50 |
| Damages |
|
The 2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal violence refers to the violence that occurred during the Christmas of 2007 between the groups led by Sangh Parivar together with the Sangh-affiliated Kui Samaj and the Christians in the Kandhamal district of Odisha.[1][2][3]
The violence started on 24 December and ended on 27 December 2007. Violence first broke out on December 24 between Hindus and Christians over Christmas celebrations where a mob of 500 to 3000 members of various Sangh Parivar organizations desecrated several Christmas decorations and injured many Christians. On the same day an alleged attack on Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his driver by some Christians after some of his bodyguards allegedly vandalized church equipment.
Clashes between the Kui Samaj which protested the tribal status to the Christians together with groups led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamswvak Sangh, Bajrang Dal and the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram against the Christians erupted after these incidents, where more than 100 churches and church institutions, 700 houses were burnt down, vandalized or damaged. During the final day of the riots there was also a Christian retaliation in which mobs burnt down about 120 houses of Hindus at different places in the district.
The official death toll suggested three Christians were killed but other reports put the death toll to nearly 50.
- ^ Das, Sib Kumar (26 December 2019). "Kandhamal rises above violent past on Christmas". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ CHATTERJI, ANGANA (January 2008). "Kandhamal: Hindutva's terror | Charting the history of sangh parivar violence in Orissa". Communalism Combat. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ Human Rights Watch (29 December 2007). "India: Stop Hindu-Christian Violence in Orissa". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
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