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Kui tribals up in arms in Kandhamal district

BERHAMPUR: Despite promises from the Chief Minister and officials, Kui tribals of Kandhamal district are continuing their agitation, seeking action against persons who instigated dalits of the district to categorise them as tribals.

On Sunday, the district Kui Samaj Coordination Committee organised a tribals’ meeting on the issue at Sarangada of Nuapada block. On Saturday, a similar meeting was organised at Linepada of the Chakapada block. The meetings were part of a series being organised since last month to mobilise tribals throughout the district.

The tribals met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday in Bhubaneswar with a list of four demands. The Chief Minister promised them to look into the demands and urged them to maintain peace. He also added that no non-tribal would be identified as tribal in the district. But the tribal leaders demanded the resignation of State Minister Padmanabh Behera, action against an NGO of Bhubaneswar, and action against MP R.K. Nayak.

Recently, there was tension following a petition filed by an NGO of Bhubaneswar Phulbani Kui Jankalyan Sangh in the Orissa High Court with a plea to identify Pana dalits of Kandhanmal district as Kui tribals in the official records as they speak Kui and perform some tribal rituals.

The Kandhamal district Kui Samaj Coordination Committee alleged that Mr. Behera and Mr. Nayak were behind the attempt.

Lambodar Kanhar, secretary of the committee, said that the attempt of vested interests would have led to violent clashes between the two communities in Kandhamal district like what happened in 1994. “So, we want strict action against these persons,” he said.

Recently, State Revenue Secretary G.V. Sharma and State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Commissioner Tara Dutt visited the district to bring the situation under control.

They said that the there was no effort by any agency to declare Pana dalits of the district as tribals.

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