02-10-2006, 06:38 PM
http://www.tamil.net/list/1999-01/msg00658.html
> (This report was gotten from Rastradeep, an Oriya Weekly from
Cuttack,
> Orissa, on Jan 26, 1999.)
>
> Australian Father Burnt Alive: Spot Report from Manoharpur
>
> Manoharpur is a remote village of Keonjhar district, Odisha which is
100
> kms from district headquarter Keonjhargarh, 46 kms from the
> sub-divisional head quarter Anandapur. It is very poorly
communicated.
> It is border village of both Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar district. These
> two sister districts were ruled by Bhanja dynasty, having native
tribes
> of Bhuyans, Santhals and Majhis. These tribes are very much cultured
> and disciplined. Several times they revolted against injustice and
> foreign rule. They pray God in the name of nature, plants and soil
> (Motherland) & natural resources are plenty till today. Always these
> tribes think themselves as the kingmaker and saviour of royal dynasty.
>
> Graham Stewart Steins
> Australian father Graham Steins came to Odisha in Jan 1965. He
> established his centre at Baripada the dist. Head quarter of
> Mayurbhanj, famous as a cultured town of mother Odisha. Graham
started
> his missionary work through Evangelical Mission, Baptist Church (at
> Baripada), World Vision of India with a coverage of leprosy centre at
> Baripada which is not at all a leprosy prone area. In 1980 he
> established a missionary Church (Thatched house) at Manoharpur (Kacha
> Sahi) about 150 kms from Baripada, and recently VRO and NGO is
suspected
> to be working for conversion. His family consisted of Mr. Graham
> Stewart Steins (55), his wife-Glades Steins (45), daughter Easter
(13),
> son Philips Steins (12) & Timoti Steins (9). Though Steins family
have
> been staying here since last 34 years they did not take the
citizenship
> of India. Every time administration was in difficult position to deal
> him as he stayed in Mayurbhanj dist, but operated in Keonjhar
district.
>
> Conversion Started
> The Baripada Mission Church leader is Nimain Hansda. His sister got
> married to Shyam Marandi of Manoharpur and became Martha Marandi.
> Through her Graham started converting Hindu Santhals (tribe) in
> Manoharpur and adjacent area. Latest position of converted Santhals
and
> Kolha in that area - (which was 100% non-Christian in 1980):
> Manoharpur - 24 families, Sanakusapada - 6, Tulasibani - 15, Baniajodi
-
> 3, Palabani - 3, Pathaveda - 5. Now 56 families were converted at a
> time.
>
> Conversion Process
> Contact persons gather them in Jungle Camp for 3-4 days, allow all
young
> girls & boys to stay together, perform marriages, preach Bible, show
> video and audio films of Jesus Christ and finally convert them through
> Duban.
>
> This years? Jungle Camp (Mela)
> This year Graham Steins organised Jungle camp from Jan 20 to 24th,
> 1999. Everyday there was a feast of meat and rice with local
alcoholic
> preparation Handia. Massive drive of meetings and showing of films
were
> conducted for 3 to 4 days. 400 people were targeted to be converted
on
> 24th Jan. 56 families were converted on 22nd. Every thing was under
> the leadership of Graham Stewart Steins and his battalion of 10
> preachers from Cuttack and Baripada.
>
> Tension
> Due to the activities of Graham there was tension from 1981. The then
> collector Fanibhushan Dash reported concern over conversion and rising
> tension among Santhals. Every year tribes perform Maker Sankranti
(Jan
> 14) and Raja Sankranti (Jun 14-16) with pump and ceremony. But every
> year this was being opposed by converted Christians by performing
> ploughing etc., which is a act of sin in those Sankranti as per their
> tradition. This year also that happened. So administration was
> compelled since 10-15 years to deploy police force during those Hindu
> functions in that locality every year.
>
> Leadership
> And therefore self declared leadership was developed in each episode
of
> group clashes (Regd. FIR, cases are there in every year against each
> other) between converted and non-converted Santhals and Kolhas. Which
> Dara Singh assumed leadership of Santhals, Shyam Sundar Marandi,
Ragadi
> Sara and youngster Salman Marandi took the leadership of Santhal
> Christians.
>
> Politics
> This area is a traditional stronghold of Congress. Two eminent
> ministers Sri Jaydev Jena (Mass Education) and Niranjan Pattnaik
> (Industry & Mines) belong to the same sub-division Anandpur, in this
J.
> B. Pattnaik ministry. Dara Singh having many warrants against him in
> police stations of the district was still active under the political
> safe-arm of this ministers, which is a known fact.
> Madhavrao Scindia instigated the
> villagers to tell the name of Bajrang Dal. He also assured the
backing
> of congress during his recent tour of the affected area. During last
> four years almost all disturbances of Keonjhar district have occured
due to
> the two infighting groups of the ruling party led by two ministers,
> is an open secret. For reference, Mr Niranjan Pattnaik happens to be
a
> close relative of the chief minister Mr Janaki Ballava Pattnaik and Mr
> Jaydev Jena belongs to the camp deputy Chief Minister, Basanta Biswal.
>
> That dreadful Night:
> During the third week of Jan 1999, Graham Steins and his 10 preachers,
> including Australian Gilbert Venj, two lectures from Cuttack namely
> Subhankar Ghosh and Rajendra Swain, and others from Baripada,
conducted
> a massive tour and propaganda in that area, conducting village
meetings,
> showing films regarding Jesus Christ, and mobilising many people to be
> converted. It resulted an undercurrent of protest and tension among
the
> Santhals. The usual process of conversion the ?jungle camp? started
> from 20th inside the temporary thatched house constructed specially
for
> the converts. In the midday of 22nd, the conversion of 56 families
and
> the declaration of further target of converting 200 camp mates on 24th
> spread fire of revolt among the Santhals very rapidly in many adjacent
> villages. Many angry Santhals and Kolhas gathered in that area in the
> midnight as a suo motto eruption of their anger of last 18 years, when
> the jungle camp was sleeping. The angry mob targeted the vehicles
> ORM-1208 and ORM-952, which carried the preachers conducting the
massive
> tour, started damaging them. By this time Graham, who was sleeping
> inside ORM-1208, covered with bundles of dry straw, woke up and
> threatened the mob with pistol firing. Seeing the pistol the mob took
> it as a challenge and attacked him with arrow and finally burnt the
> vehicle. The dry bundles of straw made it easy to burn the vehicle
and
> difficult for Graham Steins to come out with his two sons, resulting
the
> fearful death of all of them.
> A special report by Subash Chouhan,
> RASTRADEEP, Narisangha Sadan Chhak, Buxi Bazar, Cuttack 753 001. Tel:
> (0671) 60 1552.
> (This report was gotten from Rastradeep, an Oriya Weekly from
Cuttack,
> Orissa, on Jan 26, 1999.)
>
> Australian Father Burnt Alive: Spot Report from Manoharpur
>
> Manoharpur is a remote village of Keonjhar district, Odisha which is
100
> kms from district headquarter Keonjhargarh, 46 kms from the
> sub-divisional head quarter Anandapur. It is very poorly
communicated.
> It is border village of both Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar district. These
> two sister districts were ruled by Bhanja dynasty, having native
tribes
> of Bhuyans, Santhals and Majhis. These tribes are very much cultured
> and disciplined. Several times they revolted against injustice and
> foreign rule. They pray God in the name of nature, plants and soil
> (Motherland) & natural resources are plenty till today. Always these
> tribes think themselves as the kingmaker and saviour of royal dynasty.
>
> Graham Stewart Steins
> Australian father Graham Steins came to Odisha in Jan 1965. He
> established his centre at Baripada the dist. Head quarter of
> Mayurbhanj, famous as a cultured town of mother Odisha. Graham
started
> his missionary work through Evangelical Mission, Baptist Church (at
> Baripada), World Vision of India with a coverage of leprosy centre at
> Baripada which is not at all a leprosy prone area. In 1980 he
> established a missionary Church (Thatched house) at Manoharpur (Kacha
> Sahi) about 150 kms from Baripada, and recently VRO and NGO is
suspected
> to be working for conversion. His family consisted of Mr. Graham
> Stewart Steins (55), his wife-Glades Steins (45), daughter Easter
(13),
> son Philips Steins (12) & Timoti Steins (9). Though Steins family
have
> been staying here since last 34 years they did not take the
citizenship
> of India. Every time administration was in difficult position to deal
> him as he stayed in Mayurbhanj dist, but operated in Keonjhar
district.
>
> Conversion Started
> The Baripada Mission Church leader is Nimain Hansda. His sister got
> married to Shyam Marandi of Manoharpur and became Martha Marandi.
> Through her Graham started converting Hindu Santhals (tribe) in
> Manoharpur and adjacent area. Latest position of converted Santhals
and
> Kolha in that area - (which was 100% non-Christian in 1980):
> Manoharpur - 24 families, Sanakusapada - 6, Tulasibani - 15, Baniajodi
-
> 3, Palabani - 3, Pathaveda - 5. Now 56 families were converted at a
> time.
>
> Conversion Process
> Contact persons gather them in Jungle Camp for 3-4 days, allow all
young
> girls & boys to stay together, perform marriages, preach Bible, show
> video and audio films of Jesus Christ and finally convert them through
> Duban.
>
> This years? Jungle Camp (Mela)
> This year Graham Steins organised Jungle camp from Jan 20 to 24th,
> 1999. Everyday there was a feast of meat and rice with local
alcoholic
> preparation Handia. Massive drive of meetings and showing of films
were
> conducted for 3 to 4 days. 400 people were targeted to be converted
on
> 24th Jan. 56 families were converted on 22nd. Every thing was under
> the leadership of Graham Stewart Steins and his battalion of 10
> preachers from Cuttack and Baripada.
>
> Tension
> Due to the activities of Graham there was tension from 1981. The then
> collector Fanibhushan Dash reported concern over conversion and rising
> tension among Santhals. Every year tribes perform Maker Sankranti
(Jan
> 14) and Raja Sankranti (Jun 14-16) with pump and ceremony. But every
> year this was being opposed by converted Christians by performing
> ploughing etc., which is a act of sin in those Sankranti as per their
> tradition. This year also that happened. So administration was
> compelled since 10-15 years to deploy police force during those Hindu
> functions in that locality every year.
>
> Leadership
> And therefore self declared leadership was developed in each episode
of
> group clashes (Regd. FIR, cases are there in every year against each
> other) between converted and non-converted Santhals and Kolhas. Which
> Dara Singh assumed leadership of Santhals, Shyam Sundar Marandi,
Ragadi
> Sara and youngster Salman Marandi took the leadership of Santhal
> Christians.
>
> Politics
> This area is a traditional stronghold of Congress. Two eminent
> ministers Sri Jaydev Jena (Mass Education) and Niranjan Pattnaik
> (Industry & Mines) belong to the same sub-division Anandpur, in this
J.
> B. Pattnaik ministry. Dara Singh having many warrants against him in
> police stations of the district was still active under the political
> safe-arm of this ministers, which is a known fact.
> Madhavrao Scindia instigated the
> villagers to tell the name of Bajrang Dal. He also assured the
backing
> of congress during his recent tour of the affected area. During last
> four years almost all disturbances of Keonjhar district have occured
due to
> the two infighting groups of the ruling party led by two ministers,
> is an open secret. For reference, Mr Niranjan Pattnaik happens to be
a
> close relative of the chief minister Mr Janaki Ballava Pattnaik and Mr
> Jaydev Jena belongs to the camp deputy Chief Minister, Basanta Biswal.
>
> That dreadful Night:
> During the third week of Jan 1999, Graham Steins and his 10 preachers,
> including Australian Gilbert Venj, two lectures from Cuttack namely
> Subhankar Ghosh and Rajendra Swain, and others from Baripada,
conducted
> a massive tour and propaganda in that area, conducting village
meetings,
> showing films regarding Jesus Christ, and mobilising many people to be
> converted. It resulted an undercurrent of protest and tension among
the
> Santhals. The usual process of conversion the ?jungle camp? started
> from 20th inside the temporary thatched house constructed specially
for
> the converts. In the midday of 22nd, the conversion of 56 families
and
> the declaration of further target of converting 200 camp mates on 24th
> spread fire of revolt among the Santhals very rapidly in many adjacent
> villages. Many angry Santhals and Kolhas gathered in that area in the
> midnight as a suo motto eruption of their anger of last 18 years, when
> the jungle camp was sleeping. The angry mob targeted the vehicles
> ORM-1208 and ORM-952, which carried the preachers conducting the
massive
> tour, started damaging them. By this time Graham, who was sleeping
> inside ORM-1208, covered with bundles of dry straw, woke up and
> threatened the mob with pistol firing. Seeing the pistol the mob took
> it as a challenge and attacked him with arrow and finally burnt the
> vehicle. The dry bundles of straw made it easy to burn the vehicle
and
> difficult for Graham Steins to come out with his two sons, resulting
the
> fearful death of all of them.
> A special report by Subash Chouhan,
> RASTRADEEP, Narisangha Sadan Chhak, Buxi Bazar, Cuttack 753 001. Tel:
> (0671) 60 1552.