JAJPUR, 3 JAN: A large number of tribals rallied at Kalinga Nagar yesterday to observe the 4th anniversary of the killing of 14 tribals, including three women, in police firing while they were protesting against displacement.
Four years ago, the police had fired on tribals protesting against forcible displacement and since then the Visthapan Virodhi Jan Manch has led the protests. Today the VVJM assembled at Ambasgadia, where mass cremation of tribals had taken place in January 2006.
The tribals armed with their traditional weapons staged a rally from Birbhumi, the firing spot of Ambasgadia. Carrying posters and banners, the tribals marched towards the memorial pillar, raising slogans against the Naveen Patnaik government. Other than local tribals, activists from various anti-displacement groups from Jagatsingpur, Keonjhar, Kalahandi and Puri joined the rally and meeting here expressing their solidarity to the VVJM.
President of VVJM Mr Chakradhar Haiburu (senior) and secretary Mr Rabindra Jarika, tribal leaders Sukra Munda, Narayan Hembrum, Radhasyam Sethy, Biswanath Chatar and others including Prafulla Samantara, Bhal Chandra Sarangi, Sivram, Lingaraj Azad, addressed the meeting.
The star of the BBJM show was Sukra Munda, who belongs to the family of the legendary tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda. Significantly, a rival faction held a parallel meeting in support of industrialisation. The meeting held under the banner of Visthapita Parivar Unyayan Parishad was held at Danagadi today reflecting the fact that one section has been favoring setting up of industries with proper rehabilitation packages.