“Darkness, Loneliness, Loud Noises, and Men”

Abstract

This chapter looks at economic competition and frustration as the significant cause of the Pana–Kandha conflict in Kandhamal. It also describes Pandals as a visible, public demonstration of presence that often precipitate contestation over space, as one did at the beginning of the 2007 riots in Kandhamal. It also follows reports in newspapers that were written after the dust of Kandhamal had settled to some degree and corresponded closely with accounts provided by victims. The chapter refers to Sangh Parivar politicians and sympathizers who alleged that the broad correspondence in the narratives of victims, minority-rights activists, and government commissions were derived from a mutual reliance from the Western, liberal, anti-Hindu, minority-oriented bias of the national, English-language press. It reviews the element of propaganda involved in how both Christians and their critics tell the story of what happened in Kandhamal.