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Tension grips Narayanpatna

BERHAMPUR: Over 120 families left their homes in Podapadar panchayat in Narayanpatna block in Koraput district on Monday following escalated tension in the area.

The migration of panicked families took place while the administration is trying hard to bring in peace in the area through holding dialogues with the leaders of Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS), which is at the crux of the tension in Narayanpatna block. Koraput District Collector Bichitrananda Das rushed to Bhaliaput village in Podapadar panchayat to meet CMAS leader Nachika Linga.

Following his discussion with CMAS activists, the Collector hoped peace to return in the area soon. He also promised to investigate into the allegations of land grabbing by non-tribals.

Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been deployed in the Narayanpatna block to ease tension.

The Narayanpatna block is now divided into two distinct warring groups. One is CMAS, which is dominated by tribals and some social activists.

The CMAS had started tirade against alleged exploitation of tribals by non-tribals. They had opposed tribal land-grabbing by non-tribals and large-scale illicit liquor trading in remote tribal pockets. The activists of CMAS had also taken over patches of agricultural land in Podapadar, Bhaliaput, Basanaput, which according to them had been taken over by non- tribals by deceit. The tension increased in recent months when a group of people of the block got together against the CMAS. The CMAS also tried to show up it strength by holding a rally calling for boycott of polls in protest against lack of development in the area. But they also fielded Srikant Mohanty as their candidate from the Laxmipur Assembly segment. The activists of CMAS allegedly destroyed a large nursery of the forest department in the area few days ago alleging that through it the forest department and non-tribals were taking away rights of tribals on forests.

Three days ago, the non-tribals and others opposed to CMAS held a rally against the organisation at Narayanpatna. On Saturday the CMAs activists retaliated and allegedly killed a 40-year-old man Nitya Melka at Gotiguda village of Narayanpatna block.

The CMAS members had reportedly damaged several houses and injured three people at Podapadar, about five km from Gotiguda. Following the violent retaliation of CMAS activists, families opposed to them had started leaving their homes for safety. There are allegations that the CMAS has Maoist links. But the leaders of CMAS deny it.

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