TRIBALS - 2012 - Indian Social Institute

(BBJM) took out a rally from 'martyrs column' in Champakoila village to Veerbhumi at Ambagadia, where
the tribals had been killed and vowed not to spare an inch of land for the steel plant. Family members and
relatives of firing victims offered rituals at Ambagadia also. Prafulla Samantray, an anti-land acquisition
leader and president of Lokshakti Abhijan, accused chief minister Naveen Patnaik of working for private
industrial houses at the cost of the masses, who voted him to power. He said Naveen is least interested in
the development of tribals. "He has not bothered to visit Kalinga Nagar even after six years of the firing
speaks volumes of his mindset," he said. "Odisha has about 97 per cent chromite, 71 per cent bauxite, 33
per cent iron ore and 32 per cent manganese resources of India. As commodity prices soar, international
companies are eyeing this mineral bounty, much of which is in tribal territory," said Mahendra Parida, a
leader of CPIML (Liberation). The anti-industry leaders vowed not to allow industries. "We won't tolerate
torture of innocent tribals. There shouldn't be any industry at the cost of tribals and their livelihood. Our
fight against industrialisation will continue till the government changes its decision to set up industries on
farm land. Fourteen of our fellowmen sacrificed their lives for the cause of tribals. We are ready to die but
will not spare an inch of land for industry," said Rabindra Jarika, secretary of BBJM. On the other hand ,
about 800 people led by Visthapita Parivar Unnayan Parishad, a pro-industry outfit participated in a rally
at Tata's rehabilitation colony at Gobarahat village. They were led by president Dhaneswar Soi and
secretary Biren Jamuda. Though the two parallel meetings were held at a short distance of each other,
there was no clash between the rival groups. "The rally and meetings passed off peacefully. We deployed
six platoons of police force to check any untoward incident," said K C Mund, the police officer of
Kalinganagar police station. (Times of India 3/1/12)
In Chhattisgarh village, cops see human sacrifice in girl’s mystery death (6)
Bijapur It’s been two and a half months since seven-year-old Lalita Tati went missing from her village in
Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. Six days later, the child’s parents found her decomposed, mutilated body,
with nearly all organs missing. Amid talk of grisly local custom in this impoverished tribal area, police have
arrested two men who they allege killed Lalita to propitiate a bloodthirsty female deity. Lalita went missing
on October 21. Her father, Budhram Tati, discovered her body on October 27. The autopsy report said
“cause of death cannot be ascertained as the body parts were eaten away by maggots”. Nearly all of
Lalita’s organs, including the liver, were missing, the report said. The Bijapur police initially suspected a
rape-murder, but last week arrested Sukku Padam, a resident of Jailwara village where Lalita lived with
her parents, and Ignesh Kujur of Toornar village. “They have confessed that they cut her body and offered
her liver to the goddess to ensure a good harvest,” superintendent of police R N Dash said. The police
have sent samples from Lalita’s body to the forensic science laboratory in Raipur. Local councillor Vella
Ram, who is Tati’s neighbour in Jailwara, a village that came into existence some years ago to house
tribals displaced by Naxalite violence, especially after the Salwa Judum rising, argued that Sukku would
have had no reason to kill Lalita. “Sukku is not a farmer, just a poor daily labourer. How can he sacrifice
someone for a harvest? The place where the body was found is around 15 km from the temple named by
the police.” Ignesh Kujur’s son, Anil, said they were Christian and did not believe in sacrifices. Lalita’s
cousin Narayan too said human sacrifice was not heard of in the community. Several local people alleged
the police had forced a confession out of Sukku and Ignesh. Dash said the fact of Ignesh being Christian
established nothing. “Many of them worship local deities jo kisi khaas tribe ka khoon peeti hain. Sukku is
a priest of the same deity’s temple at Kadenar. The duo told us that their goddess wanted the blood of the
Agriya tribe, to which Lalita belonged.” The murder weapon has been recovered, the SP said. “Lalita was
seven years old. Tribals often sacrifice children whose ages are in odd numbers, like 7, 9, 11.” He said
money had been found at the feet and head of the body, indicating that two people had offered the
sacrifice. Lalita’s father Budhram alleged that police had locked him up for 11 days. “They tortured me,
wanted me to admit that I had either raped or killed or sacrificed my daughter,” he said. Dash denied the
charge: “Tribals here often sell their children. We had suspicions, so we interrogated Budhram.” (Express
India 6/1/12)