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 Dolagovinda Barik, Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) of Baripada in Orissa, has sentenced five Christian preachers allegedly involved in communal inciting to jail custody till November 4. According to official sources, the Christian preachers were arrested on 22 October on various charges for "uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of others and issuing threats or criminal intimidation to several persons". They were produced before the SDJM the same day, who rejected their bail application and sent them to jail custody till November 4. The preachers were seen around the tribal belt of Suliapada block in Orissa's Mayurbhanj district. The VHP had earlier sponsored re-conversion ceremonies of the tribal Christian converts into the Hindu fold in Mayurbhanj district. While people in Suliapada were busy worshipping Goddess Durga in the five-day (19-23 October) long festival, the Mumbai-based Catholic missionaries led by Karl Silva, a Pastor, was reportedly busy preaching Christianity, allegedly causing annoyance among the people in the locality. The other four were identified as Ranmesh Thowerchand Mawa, Ganesh Wankdy, Rosan Disoja and Abhiram Dhala. Among them Abhiram belonged to Kherena village under Suliapada police station limits of Suliapada block. Abhiram, who had been staying with the four Mumbai-based Christians for more than twelve years, had accompanied the group during their mission to Suliapada. On receipt of complaints from the local people, Suliapada police arrested all the five persons and registered a case against them under Sections 294/295/298/506/34 IPC. Ironically the tribal-dominated district had witnessed two VHP-Bajrang Dal-RSS-Hindu Jagaran Samukshya-sponsored reconversion ceremonies, one at Sarat under Kaptipada block on 19 September and the other at Godapalasa village under Raruan block on 20 October where tribal converts re-embraced Hindu religion. Another mass reconversion ceremony was held on 17 October at Lathikata block in Sundargarh district, where more than 300 tribal converts returned to the Hindu fold. Orissa has been a trouble spot for some time now with Hindu organisations accusing missionaries working among tribal people of attempting to convert them to Christianity. Australian missionary Graham Staines working among leprosy patients and his two minor sons were burnt to death by a mob in 1999. Dara Singh, the prime accused in the case, has been sentenced to death.
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