BHUBANESWAR: Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena on Thursday condemned the alleged police action against the tribal and dalit residents of Kantamal village in Rayagada district on April 6.
Stating that events which took place are deeply disturbing, Jena said, “What unfolded was not law enforcement, it was state machinery acting as an agent of corporate interests. Reports of midnight police entry, lathi-charge, use of tear gas, destruction of property and injuries to women reflect a shocking misuse of state power.”
Jena said the arrest of villagers, including women, and the detention of activists indicate a clear attempt to suppress democratic resistance. The provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 clearly mandate gram sabha consent and community control over resources in scheduled areas. Ignoring these protections amount to a direct violation of constitutional rights.
Stating that it is deeply concerning that the PESA has still not been effectively implemented in the state, depriving tribal communities of their rightful control over land and resources, Jena said the Sijimali region, falling under the fifth schedule of the Constitution, has been turned into a zone of fear and coercion. He raised questions on the undue haste shown by the government to push through the mining project without democratic consent and statutory approvals, forest and environmental clearances.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has constituted a 13-member committee headed by Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka to visit the village on April 10 and make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. Former minister Suresh Kumar Routray is the co-chairman of the committee while party MLAs Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Satyajit Gamang, Kadraka Appala Swamy, Pabitra Saunta, Mangu Khilla and Nilamadhab Hikaka have been included as members.