NABARANGPUR: Jagabandhu Majhi, who was killed by three unidentified gunmen on Saturday, started his political career after he was elected president of Pendrani College at Umerkote. Though he belonged to Bhatra by caste, Majhi established a good link with the Gond community of Raighar block during 2000 and succeeded in building a good network there.
Soon after, Majhi, launched a movement in the name of ‘Dalit Samaj’ against the Bangla community who were resettled in Raighar block of Nabarangpur by the Centre after their migration as refugees from Bangladesh. Since the launch of the agitation, raising issues of land grabbing and exploitation by the Bangla community, Majhi’s role remained a controversial one.
During 2001, the agitation took a violent communal turn and 10 persons were killed in police firing and communal clashes. The law and order situation for, sometime, went out of control. From October 2001, a number of criminal cases were lodged against Majhi. When police began its search to nab Majhi, he went underground.
Despite the problems, Majhi’s Dalit Samaj won three Zilla Parishad seats from Raighar block in 2002. The BJD deciding to grab the ZP president post made secret liaison with Majhi and succeeded in gaining support of Dalit Samaj members but its candidate lost to Congress. This political development brought Majhi closer to the ruling BJD and after getting an assurance of withdrawal of cases against him, Majhi obtained anticipatory bail and surrendered before the court at Umerkote.
During 2004 Assembly elections, he contested as an Independent from Umerkote against the BJD-BJP alliance and Congress. Most of the BJD leaders supported Majhi openly. That year, when Majhi was at a marriage function at Raighar, some unidentified youths opened fire at him. Though he received serious injuries, Majhi survived only to be confined to a wheel-chair. The unidentified attackers remained untraceable.
Just before 2004 Assembly elections, Majhi joined the BJD at a function at Umerkote which was attended by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. After the BJD and BJP parted ways, Majhi became BJD man and won elections from Umerkote seat. After his election Majhi was reportedly attacked for the second time while he was touring Raighar block.
During March 2010 again, Raighar block witnessed a law and order situation soon after the mysterious murder of Ghanshyam Gond, headmaster of a UP School at Biripur village. The family members of Gond along with people of the area - comprising both Congress and BJP supporters - alleged that Gond had been kidnapped and murdered by a group of BJD supporters. Name of Majhi also found mention in the FIR filed by Gond’s wife. Besides Nabarangpur, Gond Samaj which dominated ST community in Umerkote Assembly Segment came up strongly and by submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister and local administration levelling allegations against the BJD legislator. When Congress demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder, Naveen ordered a Crime Branch investigation and the case is sub judice at present.