The Hindu : New Delhi News : Rights activists oppose repression of tribals by police

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Rights activists oppose repression of tribals by police

Staff Reporter

Kalinganagar Adivasis protesting acquisition of their land

NEW DELHI: The Working Group on Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR) has demanded that the Orissa Government immediately stop the alleged police repression of the Adivasi communities in Kalinganagar and begin genuine dialogue on land acquisition.

It said that since 2006 the Kalinganagar Adivasi communities have been opposing the acquisition of their agricultural land for the construction of a mega steel plant.

The communities are protesting against the State Government's alleged insistence on displacing them from their fertile agricultural lands, when barren land is available, it said.

Condemning the alleged police repression of the democratic protests in Kalinganagar, WGHR, a national coalition of human rights organisations and independent experts, has alleged that the State Government has been trying since 2006 to take over the land by force and all democratic protest has been met with force and repression.

The WGHR has further demanded an immediate halt to the "common corridor" highway leading to the proposed site of the steel plant, the construction of which began in November 2009; withdrawal of false cases that have been made out against protesters; removal of private militia; abandoning police siege of villages and the availability of medical treatment.

There has been no enquiry in the January 2006 police firing in which 14 Adivasi protesters were reportedly killed, according to WGHR.

An independent fact-finding team, headed by a retired judge of the Orissa High Court, reported that between 30-40 protestors were injured by indiscriminate police firing on March 30 in the three tribal villages of Kalinganagar they visited.

As per the team findings, anyone injured was threatened with torture and arrest and prevented from leaving the village for medical treatment. The homes, food stocks, supplies, motorbikes and cycles of the villagers were damaged and their livestock stolen. Eyewitnesses told the fact-finding team that private militias were also involved in the attacks.

Since the police firing, activists in Orissa are believed to have reported that two people had died due to lack of medical attention. The villages continued to be surrounded by private militias supported by the local police. People were falsely implicated in criminal cases and arrested.

The Visthapit Virodhi Manch, which is leading the Kalinganagar struggle, had demanded land in compensation for their land that is being taken away for the steel plant construction.

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