Through survivors’ testimonies, Kandhamal 2008 examines how Hindu supremacist groups turned two communities - Adivasi (indigenous) Konds and Pano Dalit Christians - against each other, with the tacit support of the State Government and local administration.
More than 50,000 people became refugees, 5,000 houses were burnt and destroyed, at least 400 churches, prayer halls and institutions were desecrated, demolished or burnt down.
This region is extremely poor, but rich in mineral resources which have attracted multinational mining companies including British firm Vedanta.
The Odisha Government has ruthlessly pursued neo-liberal land acquisition policies formulated by the UK's (Department for International Development (DfID) and the World Bank.The Konds have consistently fought this corporate land grab and the film highlights how Hindu supremacist groups and the State Government have sought to undermine that struggle.
Director and researcher Samarendra Das, who was born in Odisha and has lived most of his life in Kandhamal, will discuss the background to and making of the film
All welcome. For more information: sasg@southasiasolidarity.org
