17 Years On, Kandhamal’s Wound Remains Open: Justice Eludes Swami Laxmanananda
August 23 marks the Balidan Diwas of Vedanta Kesari Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the revered Hindu monk who was brutally assassinated on the sacred night of Janmashtami 17 years ago at his Jaleshpata hermitage in Odisha’s Kandhamal district.
That fateful evening, as Swami Laxmanananda and his disciples immersed themselves in Janmashtami rituals, terror struck. Nearly 30 masked men, armed with guns, grenades, and axes, stormed the Jaleshpata ashram. They riddled the frail body of the 84-year-old saint with bullets, killing him and four of his followers, including a woman ascetic. The attackers, blinded by hatred, went on to mutilate their bodies. It was not just a murder; it was a barbaric assault on faith, service, and humanity.
Swami Laxmanananda's life was a saga of sacrifice — for the nation, for the protection of Dharma, and for the upliftment of Odisha’s tribal communities. He embodied the spirit of “Manava seva Madhava seva” (Service to mankind is service to God).
Laxmanananda's last words still echo with courage: "Never fear death when you are working for the cause of the motherland." On another occasion, he had said with characteristic humility: "I do not want a kingdom on earth, nor wealth, nor even heaven. I only wish my life to be devoted to the poorest and the weakest."
Messiah Of Tribals
For nearly four decades, Swami Laxmanananda was the guiding light of the Kandhas — the tribals of Kandhamal. He fought to restore their dignity, protect their culture, and ensure their rightful place in society.
To uplift and empower the forest dwellers of Kandhamal, Swami Laxmanananda established several institutions devoted to their education. He set up a school in the traditional Gurukul model, a night school for adult learners, and a residential school for tribal girls. He also founded a Sanskrit college, nurturing the timeless wisdom of Sanskrit within the tribal community.
He constantly sensitised the tribals about their economic, social, religious, and cultural rights. He taught them improved methods of cultivation and worked tirelessly to preserve their culture and heritage. His efforts instilled in the tribals a deep sense of self-respect and confidence in their identity.
The Marked Man
While Swami Laxmananda nurtured tribal self-reliance, Christian missionaries sought to exploit their poverty under the guise of charity. He stood as an obstacle to the conversion agenda and crossed swords with the missionaries.
Between 1970 and his martyrdom in 2008, Laxmanananda survived eight assassination attempts, each allegedly having a missionary hand. The ninth and final conspiracy, executed in 2008, took his life.
The Kandhamal Trial
In 2013, a special additional sessions court in Phulbani sentenced eight persons, including Maoist leader Pulari Rama Rao alias Uday, to life imprisonment.
Top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, now serving a life sentence in Berhampur Circle Jail for waging war against the nation, had claimed responsibility for the assassination of Swami Laxmanananda. In a startling admission, Panda openly stated that "most Maoist cadres in Odisha are Christians" — a chilling confirmation of the deep-rooted Missionary-Maoist nexus.
The Conspiracy
The Maoists may have pulled the trigger on the frail body of the 84-year-old sanyasi, but intelligence inputs accessed by this journalist point to a far more sinister hand: the crime was masterminded at the behest of Christian missionaries. Sources indicate that a US-based Pentecostal Church financed the Maoists to eliminate the revered Hindu monk. The conspiracy, they revealed, was hatched barely a fortnight before the gruesome murder, at a meeting convened by Christian missionaries in Kandhamal’s Raikia Community Centre.
The Kandhamal Commission
After the assassination and the subsequent Kandhamal riots, the then Naveen Patnaik government constituted two Commissions of Inquiry — Justice SC Mohapatra Commission and Justice AS Naidu Commission.
In 2009, the Mohapatra Commission submitted its interim report to the Odisha government. Though the Naveen Patnaik-led dispensation never made its contents public, this writer learnt that the Commission had taken serious note of the rampant religious conversions in Kandhamal carried out by missionaries.
In 2012, Justice Mohapatra passed away, and Justice AS Naidu was appointed to head the one-man probe panel. In 2015, the Naidu Commission submitted its report to the Odisha government.
Despite repeated demands from various quarters, including the then Opposition BJP, the previous BJD government in Odisha refrained from tabling the report in the Assembly, raising a troubling question: what was it trying to hide?
Time To Table Kandhamal Commission Report
The times have now changed. With the BJP now in power in Odisha and a tribal Chief Minister at the helm, the demand to uncover the truth has never been stronger.
It is time for the Mohan Majhi government to table the Kandhamal Commission report in the Assembly, expose the conspiracy behind Swami Laxmanananda’s assassination, and ensure that both the perpetrators and their conspirators face justice.
Nation's Honour Due
Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was far more than a monk. He was a visionary reformer, a staunch protector of tribal dignity, and a tireless crusader for Dharma. He crafted a template for social transformation grounded in selfless service and unwavering sacrifice.
In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to society and the nation, the Government of India must posthumously honour him with a Padma award.
(The writer is a senior multimedia journalist.)
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