With the men of several villages gone into hiding fearing police reprisal, the pomp and grandeur attached to Nuakhai estival would be missing this time. With the police, armed with warrants, keeping tab on the people involved in the violence, their families have little hope of their men returning home for Nuakhai.

Celebrated both among the Hindus and converted christians in the region, the violence and communal flare-up have come as a dampener on the Nuakhai clebrations. The christians at the relief camps have written to the Sohela tehsildar Tanmay Darwan, to arrange for Nuakahi celebration tomorrow. Be it Barupali, Govindpur Jamapali, Tugibandhli or Churiapali undr sohela police limits the heads of Hindu houselolds have left their homes ever since the violence broke out apprehrending police backlash. with about 300 warrants pending execution in the villages, and equal number of villagers are reportedly absconding. And with no family heads at home to perform the rituals, the family members are in a quandary over whether to celebrate the occasion or postpone it to Dussera. However, they will partake of new fice to maingain the tradition. The situation is no different in satibhata, Kansingha, Chandipli, Sarasmal, Khuntpali, Deuli and Barikel villages in Padmapur where violence at missionary training workshop at Khuntpali had rocked the state. The converted christians are no different they are either housed in relief cmps or their houses broken and gutted. A delegarion of BJP led by its state president Suresh Pujari toured the affected areas on Tuesday and took stock of the situation.