Gajapati land dispute: huge tribal gathering to bring back land

PARLAKHEMUNDI: Land dispute in Gajapati district is increasing day by day. After a clash between tribal and non tribal peoples in Kasinagar block in the district, tribals of Mohana block have taken the same route to bring back their land from the possession of Tibetan refugees settled in Chandragiri. Protesting district administration’s proposal to take a year time to solve the land problem in the block, tribals on Saturday organised a huge gathering at Mahendragarh in the district where more than 300 tribal people were present.

Members of Adivasi Dalit Vikas Samiti (ADVS) addressing the huge tribal gathering criticised the Government’s dual policy in solving the matter. More than 3,000 people of Mohana and R Udaygiri block had applied for records of rights of land, but only 300 people got it which reflects the lackadaisical attitude of the revenue officials, said a ADVS member Devaraj Beher Dalai.

The members of different social organisations working in the tribal areas discussed on nine-point charter of demands and then decided to submit that before the Government. In their nine-point charter of demands, they included peace talk between Tibetan and tribals, police should stay away from lodging false cases, withdrawal of the decision to take one year for land survey, basic facilities for the tribals and other demands.

Some participants alleged that the district administration is taking one year time not for solving the land problem, but to find out the way to make the illegal works legal. The members strongly denied a year time in the particular issue. Most of the tribal leaders criticised the administration for its biased decision in favour of the Tibetans.

Among others, ADVS president Sambaru Sabar, Rashtriya Adivasi Adhikar Manch national council member Sal Marandi, Adivasi Mahasabha state council member Sukant Pradhan, Nilamadhab Adivasi Sangh state president Baman Nayak, Odisha Krushak Sabha vice-president Jagannath Mishra, Democratic Youth Federation of India Jatin Mohanty and members of ADVS were present.