UpDATE JAN 21
the collector has sat on a meeting with the tribals as their leader george tirkey reiterates that the only possible negotiation is ‘there is no negotiation but fullfillment of their demamds’ without which the economic blockade continues. his anger was palpable as he strongly condemns the arrest and detention of more than 400 adivasis standing firmly to his yester years fame of ‘tiger’.
to validate governmental apathy
the sub collector had come for a meeting with the people but they denied meeting him thus the collector has been forced to come out of his coccon to adress the legitimate rulers of this land the adivasis. he has called for a meeting with the people of sundergarh with george tirkey, deme oraon and others leading.
thousands of demonstrators spent the chill of the night warmed by the persistent rejoicement of adivasi ekta. the drums and the soothing voices filled the night air as songs of their proud history and current plight made the air heavy around the region. but they are not surrendering meekly anymore as their steely will to uphold democracy has put the government in a state of confusion. The people are standing firm for.the next day in their respective places of protest. such as south easrern railway crossing around bonai, ved vyas on the high way and many other strategic points.
the spirit of the people are high and there is no going back wothout any action on thier demands by the administration as history has to be amended for a glorious tommorow is what one proud adivasi elder says.
As you know the issue of governance in Scheduled Areas has been a long standing issue which has been mired in constitutional violations and Governmental Apathy and discrepancies, though the president is considered to be the guardian of the scheduled areas he has not taken any action to uphold the constitution or the rights of the Adivasis in this country from illegal transfer of land and resources. The people of Sundergarh has been demanding for the immediate cancellation of an order to include a few more Gram Panchayat Areas into the corporation of Rourkela which is violation of the constitution. But the State government has slept on the pleas of the People of sundergarh and forced the people to take the call for an economic blockade from 20.01,2015.
With respect to this apathetic attitude of the state and central government the “Sundergarh Zilla Adiwasi Mulwasi Bachao Manch” has been leading the struggle in a peacefull manner, and had submitted a memorandum of the same to His excellency the President of India and also the prime minister requesting for immediate action on the matter as the issue has become a bone of contention in Scheduled Areas and prays the Idian State to;
- Intervene in the matter and direction may be issued to cancel the notification issued by the government of Odisha vide its housing and urban development department S.R.O.No. 514/2014 dated 14th Nov.
- Establish Peace and good Governance in the Scheduled Areas both rural and urban areas in accordance with the provision of the fifth schedule and Art. 339 of the constitution of Inida.
- Till then president rule may be proclaimed in the scheduled District of Sundergarh in exercising of the the powers made under Art. 356 of the constitution of India to protect the interest of scheduled tribes as well as scheduled areas.
To the response of the peoples prayer the Government authority has proliferated the region with armed forces and also has gone on a spree of arresting and detaining adivsis across the district,on 17.01.2015, (Xablun Ekka and three others) four Adivasis were picked up by the police and are in jail since than, and till date more than 50 people have been jailed from across the district and to which the Collector and SP have been unresponsive of what were the reasons for this arbitrary arrests and detentions.
Thus we would like a humane and immediate response from people (citizens, media etc.) across to pressurise the administration and the government to respect the rights of the adivasis of this country. To ensure the same we would request you to alert and call the supreme authority of this land and also for an immediate relief pressurise the ground authorities to ensure the safety of the people of Sundergarh.
Numbers:
District Collector Bhupen Singh Punia contact No. 9438399144
I.G Police R. K Sharma contact No. 9437001966
SP Rourkela- A.K. Singh- 8280040700
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