Opinion - News Analysis   

Naveen Patnaik Government under fire

Prafulla Das

The Kalinga Nagar incident has put the already strained BJD-BJP relationship under further pressure.

STANDING UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS: Agitating tribals blocked the Paradip-Daitari road in Goborghati on Tuesday. — Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

THE BIJU Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition in Orissa seems to be heading for a crisis, following the January 2 killing of 12 tribals in Kalinga Nagar. It is not just the Opposition parties. Even the BJP holds the Naveen Patnaik administration responsible for the incident. The most vocal are the BJP's tribal legislators; their resentment over the displacement of tribals is growing.

The BJP's tribal leaders are pressuring the party to pull out of the Government immediately. They have warned that the BJP has so far been winning the elections in the State because of large tribal support and that continuing to be part of the Patnaik Government will cost the party dear.

The police opened fire after rubber bullets failed to stop the tribals from disrupting the construction of a boundary wall for a proposed steel plant in Jajpur district's industrial area.

The tribals were demanding adequate compensation for the loss of their land and homes and proper rehabilitation. The police opened firing after one of their men, who fell down in the melee, was killed. They continued firing even as the tribals fled. Post-mortem examination of several victims revealed bullet marks on their backs.

Mr. Patnaik, whose BJD has been playing `big brother' in the alliance all these years, faced opposition from the BJP last year over the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Korean steel major POSCO for setting up a mega steel plant near Paradip.

Many non-tribal BJP leaders, barring those in the State Cabinet, too have denounced the police action in Kalinga Nagar. A fact-finding team of the party that visited the area blamed the Jajpur district administration for the death of the tribals. It also faulted the resettlement and rehabilitation policy being thrust upon the project affected people.

The tribals who own land in the locality are sore that while the State's Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IIDCO) paid them Rs.37,000 an acre for their land in the early 1990s, the authorities are now handing over the land to industrial houses for Rs.3.5 lakh an acre. The compensation was later increased to a little over Rs.50,000 but many have not accepted the money. Those with no land of their own are the worst sufferers.

What has added to the tribal angst in recent years are inadequacies in the rehabilitation package offered to those who were displaced earlier by various developmental projects and industries. A large number of tribals displaced by projects such as Machhkund hydropower station, and Hirakud and Rengali dams decades ago are still awaiting proper rehabilitation and resettlement. The same trend continues with large-scale displacement by corporate industrial and mining projects.

In fact, the absence of a comprehensive policy on resettlement and rehabilitation has resulted in long-drawn agitations in different parts of the State. The upcoming industrial township of Kalinga Nagar itself has witnessed scores of demonstrations and protest meetings against different projects in the past.

Thirteen industrial houses are presently implementing their steel projects in the area. When completed, these projects will have an installed capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum.

While a proposed policy on resettlement and rehabilitation has been awaiting the State Government's clearance for several months now, it has signed 43 MoUs for setting up steel plants and many of these projects are under implementation.

Mr. Patnaik had so far been able to maintain his popularity by pushing slogans of anti-corruption and welfare of tribals, women, and farmers.

A divided Opposition also favoured his reign. But the growing naxalite problem and displacement of people for industrialisation have made things difficult for him.

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