Padmacharan Digal

Beheragaon (Kandhamal), Oct. 19: Padmacharan Digal, a retired subedar of Indian Army, is perplexed.

“When I joined the army, I was taught that our colour is olive green. We have no caste or religion. I had never any hatred or disrespect to Hinduism. Then why did they target me?” he asks himself while staring at his razed house.

“I have fought for the country all through my life as a defence personnel. Is it the price for my service to the motherland?” mumbles the retired soldier.

Padmacharan had retired from the army in 1990 and built a house with whatever money he had got as retirement dues. “Now that all’s lost, I have now rendered homeless,” he laments.

On that fateful night of September 24, his house, along with several others in this Christian-populated village, was attacked by 1,500-strong mob.

“We were asleep. Around 2.30am, we woke up by noise. Shouting Jai Sriram, Jai Bajrangbali they came. Armed with shovel, axe and trident they struck. After ransacking and damaging the house, they poured kerosene and petrol and set it on fire,” recalls Padmacharan.

Then he and others fled towards the nearby forest under the cover of darkness, without looking back. Not only Padmacharan, his two brothers — Belsam and Pramod — had also served the army and central paramilitary forces. Belsam, a former naik of Bihar Regiment, died earlier. His widow Santilata, who had built a house adjacent to Padmacharan’s, also faced the mob fury. She has now taken shelter at a government relief camp in Tikabali, 17km away. Pramod, a retired CRPF havildar, has also borne the brunt in the clash that started soon after Swami Laxmananda Saraswati was killed on August 23.

“The government has announced a house-building assistance of Rs 50,000. But that will be too meagre to rebuild a pucca house,” says Pramod.