Conversion cases in Kandhamal more than official records

Refusing to comment on whether conversion was a cause of violence in Kandhamal last year,Singh who was the DM of Kandhamal from September 15,2004 to October 3,2007,said during cross-examination that though there was a register at the collector’s office recording cases of conversion,only two intimations regarding conversion were registered in the district in January,2004.

“The statutory provisions of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA) were not followed”,he said,adding that there were no prosecutions as no complaint had been made against conversion,he said.

The census figure,on the other hand,showed rise in the size of population of all religious groups in Kandhamal,he said.

According to the provisions of the OFRA,one has to intimate the district authorities about changing one’s religion.

The former collector also admitted that cases relating to issue of fake certificates,government land encroachment and transfer of tribal land to non-tribals took place in Kandhamal.

“During my tenure,there were cases of issuance of caste certificates to ineligible persons,but they were not many,” Singh said.

Inspector General of police (Law and Order) Arun Kumar Sarangi,who was also cross-examined,stated that there were indications that Maoists supported a particular community in the riots.

Sarangi who was IG (operations) dealing with Maoist problems during the Kandhamal riots said,”Maoists used a particular section of people to expand their network in Kandhamal.”

He admitted that those who attacked a police station at Brahmanigaon in Kandhamal on December 27,2007,were trained people and not villagers in general.

However,he refused to say whether Maoists had trained the villagers.