Bhubaneswar: A day after reviewing the situation on the ground, Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo and MSME, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik on Friday submitted a report to Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on violence-hit Malkangiri district.
Clashes had erupted at MV-26 village when a tribal mob, belonging to neighbouring Rakhelguda village allegedly attacked the Bengali settlement area on December 7 and 8, after a headless body of 51-year-old Lake Podiami was found along the Poteru riverbank on December 4. She had gone missing on December 1.
The ministers’ visit came a day after her severed head was recovered by a joint team of Malkangiri police and ODRAF on Wednesday near the Poteru river bank, nearly 50 km from the site where her beheaded body was found.
Two Odisha Ministers visit Malkangiri
After reaching district headquarters town of Malkangiri, the ministers held separate meetings with leaders of the tribal and Bengali communities to calm the nerves even as the administration extended the ban on internet services by another 12 hours till midnight.
They also chaired a meeting with senior officials, including the Collector, ADGP (Naxal operation), DIG (Southern Range), SP, on the prevailing situation at MV-26 village. Singh Deo directed the district administration to restore normalcy, strictly maintain law and order, and ensure no further escalation or untoward incidents.
Speaking to the media, the Deputy CM said that he and Mallik heard the grievances of both the groups- Malkangiri Bengali Samaj (MBS) and District Adivasi Samaj Mahasangh – at the collector’s office. Both groups have submitted memorandum to the Deputy CM and apprised of their demands while agreeing to cooperate in the restoration of peace in the district.
“We will submit a report to the chief minister after returning to Bhubaneswar. He will take necessary steps as deemed fit,” Singh Deo said, asserting that the communities, as well as the state government, want peace in the region.
Limping Back to Normalcy
Meanwhile, more than 300 people of MV-26 have returned to their houses after tension eased to some extent. The administration has deployed a large contingent of BSF jawans and Odisha Armed Police Force personnel in the area, which is still under curfew.
“Around 300 residents of MV-26 village have returned after both tribals and Bengali settlers agreed to shun violence and restore peace. We have opened a free kitchen and are providing food, blankets and other essentials to the affected people,” Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay told the media.
The collector further informed that the damage in the recent violence has been estimated to be around Rs 3.4 crore. However, this assessment does not include damage to houses, as a technical team is currently evaluating the extent of destruction. “Assistance will be provided as per rules,” he added.
A 42-year-old man, Subha Ranjan Mandal from MV-26 village, has been arrested for allegedly killing the tribal woman over a dispute on sharecropping.
Concerns & Demands
While expressing concern over the safety of the Bengali settlers, who have been staying in the tribal dominated district for 60 years after being rehabilitated by the Central Government in the 1960s, the MBS sought a high-level enquiry over the violence at MV-26 and Rakhalguda murder case and arrest of the culprits.
The District Adivasi Samaj Mahasangh, on the other hand, reiterated their demand for Rs 30 lakh compensation for the family of the deceased. It also urged the government to demarcate the land she possessed and issue a record of rights to her son, the legal heir. It further alleged that non-tribals were fraudulently purchasing tribal lands and encroaching upon community land.
The tribals have demanded identification of Bengali settlers, who were brought to Malkangiri and allotted 4-5 acres of land. Any excess land, they said, should be returned to the gram sabha or the administration. They also sought action against refugees staying illegally in the district.
Earlier speaking to media, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said, “Violence in Malkangiri was a day-to-day phenomenon in the past… The dispute between the tribals and non-tribals usually erupted as ethnic violence. However, for a long period, there was complete peace with no incidents between the two communities. The recent incident is unfortunate, resulting in the death of a person who was beheaded… Now there’s total normalcy in that area.”