BARIPADA: Members of Kudumi Sena observed ‘black day’ on Tuesday and took out a rally in Baripada town to protest delay in granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Kudumi Mohanta community. The protesters also staged a dharna in front of the Mayurbhanj collectorate. Founder of Kudumi Sena, Jamuni Mohanta said the community was given ST status till September 6, 1956 but it was withdrawn without any reason.
Over 30 lakh people of the community have been neglected not only in Mayurbhanj but Deogarh, Sundargarh, Jajpur, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Angul and Keonjhar districts of Odisha along with more than five crore residing in neighbouring states of West Bengal and Jharkhand.
“We have met the Union Tribal Affairs Minister, local MPs and MLAs and given memoranda to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Chief Secretary in this regard but in vain,” said Mohanta.