Gajapati (Orissa): The Orissa government and the Centre may have focused their attention on the victims of anti-Christian riots in Kandhmal, but they seem to have ignored nearly 500 Christians from neighbouring Gajapati district, who were forced to migrate to Stuartpeta in Andhra Pradesh, barely three km from the Orissa border.
These people had moved to relief camps after riots broke out in Kandhmal following the murder of Swami Laxmananand Saraswati in August 2008 but no one tried to find out what happened to them once the relief camps were closed.
Terrorised and driven away from home, the Dalit Christians from Orissa are struggling for survival in this four-acre barren patch in Stuartpeta in Andhra Pradesh. They fled their villages when last year's anti-Christian riots in neighbouring Kandhmal spread to their district. When they finally returned to their villages after six long months in relief camps, everything had changed.
"The tribals in our villages boycotted us. They refused us access to water, firewood and business. They even did not speak with us," said a migrant.
The Orissa government has said that it can't act without a complaint.
"We have not received any such complaint or petition from any such displaced persons. If we get any such complaint, we shall definitely make enquiries and give them full protection and shelter as we are doing in Kandhmal district," said Suryo Narayan Patro, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister.
Despite the minister's promises, these families don't dare to go back to Orissa.
"Going by what we have seen and experienced in Gajapati district, we will never ever go back to our village," said another migrant.
"The future of school-going children has been marred. We live here with great difficulty and some of us have to go hungry. We will be grateful if the Central government steps in to take care of us," said another.
With no home and no future to speak of, these men, women and children are crying for help, no matter where it comes from.