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Initiate land reform process, government urged

— PHOTO: LINGARAJ PANDA

All ears: A section of the crowd at the CMAS meeting at Kumbhari village in Narayanpatna block of Koraput district on Sunday.

BERHAMPUR: Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) of Narayanpatna block in Koraput district again urged the State government to hold direct talks with them regarding land reforms in their area.

It was declared by CMAS leader Nachika Linga at a rally organised by the organisation at Kumbhari of Narayanpatna block on Sunday. Around 8,000 supporters of CMAS took part in the rally.

The rally coincided with the anniversary of imposition of emergency in the country on June 26, 1975. Social activists such as Prafulla Samantra of Lokshakti Abhiyan, Rabi Dash of Orissa Jan Sammilani (OJS), and Dandapani Mohanty, one of the three mediators between Maoists and the State government during abduction of Malkangiri Collector R.Vineel Krishna attended.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Linga, who is still ‘most wanted' as per police records alleged that the State government had not yet taken any steps to initiate land reforms to end illegal takeover of tribal land in Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks of Koraput district. He said if the State government did not initiate the land reform process, then they may again opt for the path of agitation. He also demanded immediate release of all CMAS activists who are in jail.

Other demands

Another major demand of Mr. Linga was provision of irrigation facility in Naryanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks. “If Andhra Pradesh can plan up irrigation projects on the downstream of Jhanjabati River, then why cannot our government opt for an irrigation project on the same river in Narayanpatna block,” he asked. He reiterated that his organisation would continue its tirade against promotion of liquor by the administration. “Our main demand before government is proper facilities related to irrigation, education, and health,” he added.

Mr. Samantra said Orissa government's oppressive actions against democratic organisations started to make social activists remember the days of repressive emergency in the country. He asked the State government to release all activists of the CMAS including its adviser Gananath Patra from jails by June 30, as per the promise made by the government. He wanted Mr. Linga's name to be removed from the ‘most wanted' list of police so that talks could be initiated between him and the government. Mr. Mohanty said now it was the duty of the government to fulfil all the 14 promises it made to mediators for the release of Malkangiri Collector and the junior engineer who were abducted by the Maoists in February.

He alleged that police was still continuing to harass ‘innocents' in the name of Maoist connections.

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