6.106 Pursuant to the Commission's directions, the Director General (Investigation), NHRC and the Inspector General of Police, Orissa submitted a report and also forwarded the enquiry report of the High Level Committee set up by the Government to go into various aspects of the incident. The analysis of the enquiry report revealed that communal tension had been rising in the area due to the changing socio-economic equations of the Kandhas tribe (who are numerically the most dominant tribe in the State as well as in the district of Kandhamal) and the Kui-speaking Panas, who have the status of Scheduled Caste and used to work on farms of the Kandhas. With the passage of time, the Panas progressed faster vis-a-vis the Kandhas. A substantial number of Panas converted into Christianity but wanted to retain the benefits of reservation as a Scheduled Caste. Some Panas formed an association and demanded Scheduled Tribe status for Kui-speaking Panas. The tribal communities under the banner of Kandhamal District Kui Samaj Coordination Committee gave a call for a 36-hour bandh in the district. The bandh coincided with communal violence at Bramanigaon where some people of the Hindu community protested against erection of arches by the Christians to celebrate Christmas. The situation further flared up when Swami Laxmnanad Saraswati of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was allegedly detained and assaulted by the mob belonging to the Christian community when he was proceeding to Bramanigaon. The district administration found it difficult to handle the situation effectively because of its limited resources. Mobs from both the communities indulged in violence. The maximum destruction of property took place at Barakhama where houses of Christians and their properties were destroyed by some Hindus. Violence also erupted at Bramanigaon where Hindus who were in a minority, became victims. 6.107 The High Level Committee concluded that the incidents were part of a sudden flare up of communal passions and denied allegations of it being a planned effort by anti-social and fundamentalist elements to disturb communal peace. The report stated that all possible measures were taken to control the situation. Adequate forces, including platoons of Orissa, Special Armed Police, CRPF, RAF and Special Operation Groups, were deployed. Till 15 January 2008, 123 cases were registered and 162 persons, including 137 Hindus, were arrested. The State Government announced a relief package for the victims. This included three months ration for the affected families, Rs. 2,00,000 to all riot-affected institutions, ex-gratia payment of Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 50,000, respectively, for partly and fully-damaged houses. 6.108 The report and findings of NHRC's investigation team are more or less on the same lines as those of the High Level Committee. The team also noticed a great resentment against the activities of one NGO. These observations of the team indicate that the violence was primarily stroked by communal passions and ethnic consideration played a secondary role. 6.109 Meanwhile, the President of the Global Council of Indian Christians sent another complaint, dated 6 March 2008, reporting several incidents of inaction against the perpetrators of violence towards Christians. The Council also alleged that Christians were being falsely implicated, accused of being Naxalites and arrested; in the Barakhama Relief Camp, women were being forced to give-up Christianity by the armed police of the State Government; and the District National Human Rights Commission 51