ROURKELA: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's sister and Odisha president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Anjali Soren was allegedly detained by police in a hotel for the second consecutive day on Tuesday even as attempts by party leaders to join the villagers protesting industrialisation in Rajgangpur ended in frustration.
On the day, Sundargarh administration conducted two more public hearings in Rajgangpur's Kutra block amid deployment of 12 platoons of police force. Sundargarh ADM Biswajit Mohapatra said the hearings were held for environmental clearance towards expansion of a dolomite and limestone mine besides opening of a new mine by JSW Cement Ltd.
The public hearings were held successfully, he claimed. Sources said a section of tribal villagers, mostly activists of Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) movement, staged protest outside the venues.
On Sunday, two public hearings over social impact assessment were conducted in Rajgangpur to facilitate land acquisition by OCL India Ltd for expansion of its dolomite and limestone mines. As a section of the villagers blocked roads at Kukuda and Alanda villages, the administration had to organise the hearings on road.
Incidentally, Kutra and Rajgangpur are known for violent opposition to industries with substantial presence of village-level PESA gram sabha committees which seek self-rule. With no mainstream political parties supporting the agitating villagers, the JMM, which is fighting for existence in Sundargarh district, is looking at the situation as an opportunity to strengthen its weak organisational strength.
Till three years back, the administration had to endure law and order situations created by followers of PESA movement over industrialisation. Apparently, the administration this time resorted to tactful measures to prevent JMM from regrouping the PESA activists in Rajgangpur.
Well-placed sources said PESA activists have been lying low in absence of strong leadership and any gain by JMM in Rajgangpur would give the party a leverage to woo the gram sabha committees in Sundargarh before the rural polls.
Anjali said tribal people have been fighting for rights over Jal, Jungle, Zamin for long. Her illegal detention is an attempt to suppress tribal voices opposing industries to protect their land rights, she alleged.
However, Rourkela SP Mukesh K Bhamoo said the JMM leader did not have permission to visit the areas fixed for organising public hearings. While two more public hearings of OCL are scheduled on Wednesday, the JMM leader is staying put in the hotel and refusing to return to Jharkhand.