Ruins of a planned attack on Christians in Kandhamal

Mr. Paul Pradhan, convenor of the Kandhamal Survivors’ Association, once led an NGO that worked across communities until it was destroyed in the violence of 2008. The ruins behind him are not relics of antiquity but evidence of targeted attacks on civil society. Like many schools, hospitals, and shops, his office was never rebuilt. This shattered structure stands as a political archive of loss and resistance. It carries testimonies of destruction, abandonment, and survival. Kandhamal’s ruins are not silent; they speak of institutional erasure, unfinished justice, and the resilience of those who continue to demand dignity amid devastation.