The opposition BJD and Congress parties, on Thursday, issued a strong condemnation of alleged police brutality against tribal protesters in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The outcry follows a violent confrontation regarding the construction of a road leading to the Sijimali bauxite mine.
The clashes, which occurred on Tuesday, left at least 70 people injured, including 58 security personnel. The violence erupted as local tribal communities protested the development of the road, which is intended to serve a bauxite mine currently leased to a private company for exploration.
While district administration maintains that the road is being built on government-owned land leading to Sijimali mines, local villagers argue that the mining operations will devastate the environment and destroy their livelihoods. Furthermore, residents allege that the administration bypassed legal requirements by failing to hold a mandatory Gram Sabha (village council) meeting before the beginning of the construction of the road.
The escalating dispute resulted in a violent clash between the two sides, prompting the administration to impose prohibitory orders in Shagabari village and nearby areas under the Kashipur police station limits to maintain order.
A 10-member BJD fact-finding team, headed by district president and former minister Jagannath Saraka, visited Kantamal village. The team investigated reports that police had intentionally cut off electricity to the area early Tuesday morning before the confrontation.
“The tribals are not against development, but the manner in which the local administration used force against people is totally undemocratic. We met several people who were injured in the clash,” Saraka, also a tribal leader, told reporters.
Former minister and BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain sharply criticised the district administration’s conduct. “We are calling for the Governor’s intervention, as this road is being built in a Scheduled Area without the consent of the local population,” Swain said, while also demanding that a fresh Gram Sabha be convened.
BJD senior vice president Debi Prasad Mishra said the fact-finding team will submit its report to party president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday night.
“As per information, the police used excessive force and opened fire on innocent tribals who were protesting for their land rights,” Mishra said.
Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das has formed a 13-member fact-finding committee. Led by Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka, the group of lawmakers and former ministers is scheduled to visit the Kashipur area on Friday.
In an X post, Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said, “The President of India is a tribal from Odisha, the chief minister is a tribal, and even the Union Tribal Welfare Minister is from Odisha… yet the struggles of tribal communities continue to be ignored.”
Kadam alleged that in Sijimali (Niyamgiri), Kashipur, Lanjigarh, Balda, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, and other mining areas, forests are being destroyed, lands taken, and tribal people displaced.
“Those who fight for their rights are silenced, their voices suppressed, and their struggle criminalised. Protecting ‘Jal, Jungle, and Jameen’ has now become a crime. Being a tribal, I strongly condemn this. Development cannot come at the cost of humanity. It’s time to listen, respect rights, and ensure justice,” Kadam said.
Official sources said the police have registered three cases in connection with the clash in which around 70 people were injured.
“No arrest has so far been made in this connection,” a senior police officer said.
