Province / Zonal News:

• Meeting of Jesuit Lawyers & HR Activists in ISI, New Delhi

  Twenty two Jesuit Lawyers and Human Rights Activists met for the first time in ISI, New Delhi from 15-17 August 2009, to discuss on the rampant human rights violations and how as Jesuit Lawyers we are called to respond to the situation in South Asia. They also discussed on the future course of action in the Assistancy.

• Dalit revolt against brahminical domination in the Kandhamal district of Orissa, that faced the religious violence against the Christians in December 2007, is twisted as ‘Christians killing cows’ leading to communal flare up and attack on a few Christians and their institutions.
  
  Madhaba Baba, a disciple of an 82 year old Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the notorious swamiji who inflamed the communal violence in December 2007, was visiting a dalit dominated village called Mahalipada on Tuesday, 8th July in the morning. On hearing that a cow had been killed by the villagers, where there are both Christian dalits and Hindu dalits, he scolded them and tried to take photos with his mobile phone. The cow actually was killed by a Hindu dalit in that village, and dalits in that village as in many others are in the habit of eating beef, unlike the brahmins.  The state of Orissa has a law against the slaughter of cows, for cows are revered as sacred in the brahmincial Hinduism. On seeing him taking photos the villagers told the swami to delete the photos in his camera. When he refused to do that, the people got angry and scolded the Baba and his driver and in protest they smeared the blood of the cow on them.
  
  Having been beaten up by the dalits, he came back and reported the matter to Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in his ashram at Jalespata, 4 kilometres away from Mahalipada. The swami, with his associates went to attack the villagers holding in their hands swords, spears and other lethal weapons. The villagers stood their ground and threatened to retaliate. Fearing this, the Swami and his associates withdrew.
  
  Angered by the retaliation of the dalit villagers, the swami sat on a dharna (sit-in strike) in front of the Tumudibandha Police Station. On their way, his followers attacked the Jesuit Residence in Tumudibandha at around 2.15 pm.  Though there was no Jesuit present in the residence at that time, the cook had locked both the main gate and the grill gate of the residence, and was watching TV. On seeing the gate being broken, he ran away to safety. The fanatics destroyed both the gates, entered the premises and broke a cross in the chapel, beheaded the statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola and threw the liturgical books and the Bible out. They also broke a few windows, two almirahs, a wash basin and a refrigerator in the residence and spread the rumour that there was beef in the fridge. On their way, they also attacked the Bhagvan Ashram, an orphanage run by a Christian, Mr. Sanjeev Pradhan.
  
  The Jesuits have been trying to file an FIR (First Information Report) in the local Police Station which was only accepted on 10th evening.  The police came and verified the damage. The district superintendent and other officials say that the situation is under control and have posted a few policemen from Central Reserve Police Force in the Jesuit Residence and in the village Chapel. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, has also filed an FIR and sat on a dharna on the state highway near his ashram with the young girls from his ashram and is threatening to go on a hunger strike.
  
  The situation externally looks normal. The tension is still prevailing all around.
  
Reported by S. Antony Raj SJ, Bhubaneshwar


• Priests Abducted, Released : On the night of 3rd July, five armed persons entered the compound of Dalit Vikas Centre, Patra, Hazaribag at gunpoint, made the cook, call the priests and proceeded to take the fathers Primus Kerketta and Basil Lakra with them into the night. After a few kilometers through the fields, jungles, they sent Fr. Primus back with a demand for Rs. 10 Lakhs to be given by the next day in return for the life of Fr. Basil. The next day village people from the immediate village and other dalit communities gathered in vigil at Patra. It was agreed that the ranson demand should not be met, parties went out in search of possible holding locations. The kidnappers made contact through Fr. Basil’s cellphone, demanding speedy payment. The negotiators drew out the discussions as long as possible. The kidnappers’ demands radically reduced towards evening, the villagers eventually put together a small sum, negotiated the place of release and went and picked up Fr. Basil on 4th night.He was in good spirits and not injured in anyway. It was a case of kidnapping for money, probably not related to naxalite groups and definitely without any communal dimension. Reported by Fr. Tony Herbert, CSA of Hazaribag




• "India Untouched - Stories of a people apart" wins 5th International Award
  "India Untouched" is a new documentary that will make it impossible for anyone in India to deny that Untouchability is still practiced today. The film is perhaps the most comprehensive look at caste oppression ever undertaken on film. Director Stalin K. spent four years traveling the length and breadth of the country to bear witness to the continued exclusion of Dalits, who bear the weight of a 4000 year-old religious system. (108 Min. English, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi)


• Central Zone CSAs meeting along with Bagaicha Team had the annual meeting on July 4-5, 2008 at Bagaicha. On 5th afternoon, the team met the Central Zone Provincials to discuss the common issues and concerns. Click HERE to read the report of the meeting.



• Patna Social Action Team Meets: Patna Province organized a 'Chintan Shivir' for the core staff of Patna Jesuit Social Actioin Centres from 1-4 July 2008. Click HERE to read the report.



• Kerala Province JESA team Meeting: July 19-20, 2008 at Calicut



• Madurai Province: Training of Coworkers of Jesuit Social Centres, July 23-24, IDEAS, Madurai



• Dumka Raiganj JESA Team meeting: August 4-5, 2008 at Satia, to finalise the internal evaluation of the Social Centres and also to prepare for the Province Extended Consult.



• Western Zone Meeting in Pune, Feb. 18-19, 2009