Bhubaneswar, April 11 The BJD strongly condemned the alleged brutality by the Odisha government towards tribal protesters at the Sijimali area in Rayagada district, where bauxite mining was being protested, and sought intervention from President Droupadi Murmu.
The Congress and Left parties also condemned the Odisha government for alleged brutality towards tribal protesters at the Sijimali area in Rayagada district, alleging that the PESA and Forest Acts were being violated to benefit a private company.
Fact-finding teams from the BJD, Congress, and Left parties visited Kashipur block in Rayagada district on Friday, where on April 7, tribal people clashed with security personnel over the construction of a road leading to the Sijimali bauxite mine, which had been allocated to a private company for mining. Around 60 police personnel and over 10 villagers were injured in the clash.
The BJD, Congress, and Left parties claimed that the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, or PESA, which empowers local tribal communities with self-governance over resources, land, and culture, is being violated along with the Forest Acts to facilitate bauxite mining by a private company.
Addressing a press conference here, BJD's Rayagada district president Jagannath Saraka, Koraput district president Jhina Hikaka, and Media Coordinator Priyabrata Majhi said they had sought the President's intervention in the alleged brutality by the Odisha government against tribal protesters in Kashipur block.
The BJD leaders pointed out that Odisha's Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is a tribal, and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram is also from Odisha and a tribal. "Therefore, we sought her intervention as the tribals are suffering," the BJD leaders said.
They alleged that the "inhuman and barbaric" actions of the administration against tribals in Sijimali reflect the "anti-tribal" policies of the BJP-led state government.
"We met with people at the ground level and learned that the administration subjected them to severe repression and atrocities. Industrial development cannot be achieved by ignoring the interests of tribals and subjecting them to oppression," Saraka told reporters, adding that gram sabhas must be conducted as per law and necessary consent must be obtained to safeguard tribal interests.
Hikaka alleged that the way police and administrative officials carried out "brutal" actions against tribal communities in Sijimali is unacceptable in any civilized society. While mining activities were being expedited in the area, local residents were peacefully protesting, alleging violations of the PESA Act and Forest Laws.
However, late at night on April 6, when villagers were asleep, the administration cut off electricity and "launched a brutal attack" on innocent tribal men and women. Such actions clearly reflect the "anti-tribal" stance of the state government, he alleged.
Meanwhile, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra in a post on X said, "Today, I addressed a formal communication to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Shri Jual Oram Ji, regarding the escalating conflict in Sijimali, Rayagada. The tribal communities in this region are facing significant distress since several days, and it is startling that the Union Ministry has not yet initiated any protective measures or interventions."
"Our tribal brothers and sisters deserve the full protection of the law and the proactive support of the government. I have expressed my strong condemnation of the current delay and have urged the minister to act at the earliest to restore peace and ensure justice for the people of Sijimali," Patra said.
The Congress delegation, led by Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka, alleged that tribals were being oppressed by the administration.
"We have come to know that the District Magistrate asked the locals to show their land titles, and if not, we will see them," Ulaka said, adding that as many as eight gram sabhas were hurriedly held in one day in order to get consent of people "fraudulently".
OPCC vice-president and MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said, "Our leader Rahul Gandhi has been fighting for the rights of the tribals across the country, and if necessary, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha may also come for the protection of the tribals.”
Left parties comprising CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and CPI(ML) also visited the area and demanded the conduct of fresh gram sabhas and implementation of PESA, as Kashipur is a tribal-dominated block.