BERHAMPUR: Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS), a body of Dongria Kondhs opposed to bauxite mining in the hills, has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to stop actions initiated by the police and CRPF against innocent tribals living in the hills.
More than 8,000 Dongria Kondhs live in 160 villages of the Niyamgiri hills and they have been caught in the crossfire between Government and Maoists, said Samiti president Kumuti Majhi.
Attempts are being made to mine bauxite and in their effort to do so, the State Government is labelling Dongria tribals as Maoists and arresting them under pressure from the corporates, Majhi alleged. For creating a sense of fear among the locals, several tribals, including minors, have been arrested and harassed, Majhi said.
He alleged that Kuni Sikaka alias Rashmita Sikaka (20), a tribal woman who surrendered before police on May 3, was targeted because her husband Jagili Pusika and father in-law Dadhi Pusika are NSS members.
Kuni is a simple housewife but police branded her as a Maoist, he alleged.
Majhi said police had detained Kuni for over 36 hours on May 1 but after protests by locals, they presented her as a surrendered Maoist cadre. Police also arrested Dadhi and three other tribals who went to the police station to meet Kuni. They were also termed as Maoists, who gave up arms, but were later released. If they are Maoists, why were they released, he questioned.
The delegation submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (SD).