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Tribals in a piquant situation

BERHAMPUR: A group of tribals of Gangabada panchayat of Rayagada block in Gajapati district of Orissa near Andhra Pradesh border are now in a piquant situation.

These tribals were attacked and injured by some miscreants near Singipur of Mandasa mandal in Andhra Pradesh a few days ago. They want to lodge complaints against their attackers. But neither the Mandasa police station of Andhra Pradesh nor the Garabandha police station of Orissa are ready to accept their FIR on ‘technical’ grounds.

Sumitra Sabar, the sarpanch of Gangabada panchayat said they had gone to the Garabandha police station on Monday. But the officer incharge of the police station did not accept their FIR on the plea that the incident had occurred in Andhra area. She added that they had earlier visited the Mandasa police station of Andhra, where officers said the case had to be registered in a Orissa police station as the victims were from Orissa.

Led by Ms Sabar, a delegation of tribals of the area reached district headquarter town, Paralakhemundi, on Tuesday and met Deputy Superintendent Police Station (DSP) over the matter. Haribandhu Karzi, a member of the delegation, said the DSP again advised them to approach the Mandasa police station in Andhra to file the FIR. Mr Karzi said they also complained about the behaviour of policemen towards the tribals at Garabandha police station. Tribals alleged that the policemen posted at this police station had branded them naxal supporters.

The tribals who were attacked were poor men who used to make living by selling firewood collected from forests. They allege they were attacked by a group of traders of Andhra who were earlier buying their firewood. Recently these tribals stopped selling firewood to them as they had got better price from buyers in Orissa villages.

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