Odisha: Ashram the place Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was killed in 2008 receives demise and bomb threats

In the Kandhamal district of Odisha, a widely known and extremely revered Hindu Sadhu named Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was brutally murdered by armed Naxalites and a few Christian fanatics in 2008. The tribal-dominated Kandhamal district has lengthy been the hotbed of pressured conversions by evangelical organisations. Christian missionaries have been continually concentrating on Hindu Sadhus engaged on the bottom to stop their rampant conversion efforts, with specific assist from Maoists.
Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, an 82-year-old Sanyasi who had devoted his life to the service of the Adivasis within the space, was murdered together with 4 of his associates within the Jalespata Ashram on the day of Janmashtami in 2008, whereas the Ashram’s devotees had been preparing for the festivities. His physique was riddled with bullets and his lifeless physique was brutalised additional with sharp weapons by the murderers. The incident had sparked communal riots within the Kandhamal district, the place tribal Hindus and Christians conflict recurrently, with the Naxalites supporting the Christians.
The 4 different individuals murdered by the assailants had been Mata Bhaktimayee, Krutananda Baba, Kishore Baba and Puranjana Guntha.
Swami Jibanamuktananda dealing with demise threats
Swami Jibanamuktananda, the present caretaker of the Jalespata Ashram has complained to the police that he has been getting repeated demise threats over the telephone for the previous few days. As per studies, the primary name had come at round 5.30 pm on Saturday, 20 February the place the caller had recognized himself as a ‘Naxal’ and had threatened to kill the Sadhu and blow up the Ashram.
The second name had come on Sunday morning and had issued related threats. After Swami Jibanamuktananda lodged a grievance on the Tumudibandha station, a police group was deployed for the safety of the Ashram. Swami Jibanamuktananda said that the Ashram exists to serve the native tribals and educate their youngsters. He said that the native police have promised him help and safety.

Following the information of the demise threats, a group of seven BJP leaders, together with 2 MLAs named Mukesh Mahalinga and Kusum Tete had arrived in Jalespata Ashram to satisfy Swami Jibanamuktananda. They had additionally spoken to Kandhamal SP Vinit Agarwal relating to the safety preparations of the Ashram.
Police arrest one individual for menace calls
On Sunday, the Kandhamal police have arrested one individual named ‘Mahadev Maharaj’ who was a former employee on the Jalespata Ashram. Maharaj allegedly had a fallout with Swami Jibanamuktananda and the Ashram authorities and had been requested to depart, as per a report by OTV.
Maharaj was arrested by the Kandhamal police from the Chatikana space below the Bissamcuttack police station limits in Rayagada district. He hails from the Sundergarh district in Odisha and was working within the Jalespata Ashram until 2019, as per the police. The police have insisted that the threatening calls are a results of fallout between Swami Jibanamuktananda and Mahadev Maharaj.
Kandhamal district: Christian conversions and Maoist violence
Before and after the brutal homicide of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the Kandhamal district has witnessed a number of cases of violent clashes and riots, primarily between the predominantly Christian-convert Pana neighborhood and the Hindu tribal Kondh neighborhood. Hindu Sadhus and social staff continually obtain threats and intimidation from missionary organisations and Naxals who appear to work in tandem.
In 2007, Kandhamal noticed communal riots between Hindu tribals and transformed Christians who had been demanding ST standing. On 24 December, the Christians has attacked and vandalised a Durga Puja venue and had attacked Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati too when he had tried to intervene. This had led to violent clashes the place a number of homes had been torched.
In 2015, the Justice Basudev Panigrahi Commission, which was probing the 2007 riots, had submitted its report. The report had cited ‘rampant Christian conversions’ as the explanation behind the violence within the space. The former choose had advised that regardless of robust anti-conversion legal guidelines in Odisha, rampant missionary actions are underway. Kandhamal, a small district with dense forests, has over 1200 church buildings and over 300 Christian organisations.
Conviction of Maoists and Christians for the homicide of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati
In October 2013, a complete of eight individuals, 7 transformed Christians and a Maoist chief named Pulari Rama Rao had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the homicide of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. Two extra Maoist leaders Dunna Keshav Rao and Sabyasachi Panda had been additionally accused within the case. Both are lodged in jail.
As per a report revealed in Firstpost in 2016, within the aftermath of the Kandhamal riots in 2008 following the demise of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, numerous worldwide Christian organisations had peddled baseless claims, and huge quantities of international funds had flown into the district. Many individuals who had been alive, or who had died pure deaths lengthy earlier than the riots, had been listed by Christian pastors as ‘riot victims’. Fake names had been used to gather big funds from NGOs and evangelical organisations everywhere in the world.