Odisha Shanti O Sadbhabana Abhiyan (OSSA) organized a consultation at CYSD
Bhubaneswar on 2nd June 2009 to discuss in detail the growing unrest at
Narayanpatana (Koraput). Prominent social activist from the affected area and
the OSSA fraternity gathered to take stock of the situation and plan for the
future action strategy. The issue was discussed at length and the following
major opinions were generated in the process.
That the present situation has mainly emerged out of the years of
injustice done to the tribals in terms of land alienation in spite of the
Bhudan/Gram Dan movement which was an intense one in the district of Koraput.
All kind of land settlement act has failed to ensure the entitlements of the
tribal people in the area and therefore land is the main issue and central to
the solution of the present crisis.
Tribals have been victim of the misinformation campaign by local
politicians, Mahajans,money lender etc not to legally posses land to have
respite from land rent payment. Community and mass ownership of land by tribals
have converted to mass transfer of land to non tribals opportunist.
Tribals do not have any other means of sustainability except land vis a
vis the non tribals and also some better off tribals. Therefore there is no
other means but the restoration of tribal land rights that will decide the
prospect of long term peace and harmony in the affected areas.
Apart from the problem of Land, the problem of liquor and daily wage
disparity and discrimination, indebtness etc had added to the intensity of the
present unrest. However violence of any kind cant be justified for all kinds
of past exploitation and atrocities on tribals and all efforts should be made
to resolve the issue through peaceful dialogue and negotiation among the rival
groups.
There is commonly shared mutual apprehension and threat perception
among the rival groups like SANGAM and ANSAGAM does not have any rational base
but being propagated by vested interest in the media and else where. The
perception that the CHASI MULIA ADIVASI SANGHA Is all for violence killings and
destruction is also not totally true. However there is confusion among
leadership and there is also apprehension that it could result in castist
polarization and large scale violence if not contained at present.
Government cant remain just a mute spectator to this present violence
and shed its responsibility by merely providing relief and security to the
affected people which is also not being properly done. It must ensure that the
land right of the tribal people is reinforced at the earliest and people must
be reassured regarding this through all possible means.
In order to restore confidence among the tribals govt. must work in
tandem with civil society groups already active in the area and working on this
issue and must broaden the sphere peace committee by including all the stake
holder of the present crisis.
The relief and rehabilitation measures must be augmented in the view of
arrival of the monsoon and proper security measure must be taken to check
further violence in the area.
CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSE
Civil society groups are already active in the area on this issue and
have started the dialogue process among different groups. The steps already
taken or planned are as follows.
1. Making independent assessment of the damage of house and property.
2. Analyzing historically the root cause of the problem including
preparing a data base of total land ownership, share of tribal and non tribal
and the free land available.
3. Facilitating community dialogue among the affected population and the
CMAS.
4. Encouraging the involvement of local lawyers and journalists to in the
dialogue process and also to bring out the truth of the matter and discouraging
exaggeration.
OSSA in this concern decide to send a five member team consisting some senior
members like Sri Aditya Pattanaik, Md. Ziauddin Ahmed, Sri Hansharaj Mishra,
Manoj Jena and Askhya Kumar to visit Narayanpatana and make an independent
assessment of the whole issue before deciding any future couse of action on the
issue.The team shall come back around 10th of june and a further consultation
shall be organized to develop clarity and take a position on the issue.
The consultation ended with Dr. Bhagbanprakash thanking the all the following
members present in the consultation who made the meeting a success.
Members in the Consultation
1.Sri Ratan Das
2. Hansraj Mishra
3.Basanti Jena
4.Rajeswari Dalai
5.Manoj Jena
6. Md. Ziaudin Ahmed
7.Madhumita Ray
8.Askhya Kumar
9.Bijay Kumar Baboo
10.Badal Kumar Tha
11.Lalit Mohan Mishra
12.Bidu lata Hunak
13.Ramakanta Jena
14. Sri Prafulla Sahoo
15.Dr. Bhagbanprakash
16. Prof. Radhamohan
17.Aditya Pattanaik
18. Sri Kailash Acharya
19.Sri Subhranshu Panda
20.Pradeepta Sundaray
