Tribal Women Attempt Mass Suicide In Odisha’s Jajpur

Jajpur: Police have foiled a mass suicide attempt by 50 tribal women in Japur district. The women were protesting against the construction of a railway line on their lands.

The incident happened at Rangahudi, Bagharaisahi and Duburi villages in the Kalinganagar police station area on Tuesday.

“Around 50 tribal women came to the railway track construction site and threatened to commit suicide. They also tried to prevent construction work from taking place. However, police were able to stop them,” Kalinganagar ASP, Rajkishor Dora said.

Tribal Grouse

The tribal people alleged that the authorities had recently started constructing the Sukinda-Anugul-Duburi railway line on their lands without taking their consent.

“We have been opposing the construction of the track as the railway authorities are trying to build it over our land without paying proper compensation. We decided to commit suicide by pouring kerosene on ourselves. But the officials assaulted us,” a report in DownToEarth quoted Pramila Mohant of Rangahudi village as saying.

Like Pramila, several tribal people whose lands have been acquired for the project have alleged that they have not been compensated and have threatened mass suicide.

“The ecology of our village will be destroyed if the authorities build a railway line. The railway construction company has been illegally quarrying soil in our village as a result of which, many villagers are facing problems. The authorities have no right to acquire our land for the railway line project without paying us proper compensation,” Golapa Mohant of Bagharasahi village said.

Official Take

The 102-kilometre-long Anugul-Sukinda railway line project will connect the coal fields in Talcher to the Banspani-Sukinda line. It will aid the movement of coal and iron ore in two directions.

“The railway line will be a reliable economic and faster alternative for passenger transport. It will serve Angul, Jajpur and Dhenkanal districts. But some villagers with an ulterior motive were trying to oppose the construction work,” Jajpur Collector Ranjan Kumar Das said.

“The railway authorities acquired government and private land for the project after paying proper compensation. The villagers of Duburi, Rangahudi and Bagharasahi have no right, title interest or possession over the land as the railway authorities are building the track over government land,” he added.

Meanwhile, police have detained eight men on charges of opposing the railway line’s construction. Security has been tightened in the area to prevent any law and order situation.