THE CPI(M) has condemned the gruesome killings of five Adivasis, after branding them as Maoists, in Gumudumaha village of Kandhamala district of Odisha on July 8 and demanded an SIT probe into the matter under the supervision of the Odisha High Court and that adequate compensation be paid to them. The Party sought an end to the century-old deprivation of a large number of Adivasis in Odisha. A seven-member delegation of CPI(M) and the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM), comprising MP Jitendra Chaudhury, CPI(M) state secretary Ali Kishore Pattanayek, former MP Pulin Baske, Party leader Suresh Panigrahi, MLA Laxman Munda, Odisha Adivasi Adhikar Manch secretary Sala Marandi and Odisha Krushak Sabha president Abhiram Behera, visited the village on July 27 and spoke to the families of the deceased and other villagers. Chaudhury also raised the issue in the Lok Sabha. He strongly condemned the role of the BJD government in Odisha whose 16 years’ rule led to large scale malnutrition deaths of children and epidemic in Adivasi areas. The incident of Gumudumaha is third in the row during the current year itself. Later, the delegation gave a memorandum to the chief minister through the sub-collector of Baliguada. In the memorandum, the delegation said, “We met the families of those who have died in police firing and family members of the injured. We have interacted with the village people and collected facts directly from the people regarding the unfortunate incident on July 8. We have also seen the remote areas of Kandhamala district where tribal and Dalit people are living without basic civic amenities. In our view, the tribals are living with subhuman conditions in the era of modern development i.e. the era of neo-liberal regime. Development packages of both central and state governments are not reaching to the areas where these marginalised sections of the society are living.” “Therefore, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the gruesome murder of five innocent Adivasis and Dalits by security personnel in the name of Maoists at village Gumudumaha in Kandhamal district and with deep anguish draws your kind attention to the highly deplorable condition prevailing in the Adivasi-dominated areas of the state. The historic injustice, under-development and exploitation and now followed with pro-corporate moves of the government have accelerated the problems of the Adivasis who constitute 22.85 per cent of the state’s population. If we include the Dalit Population of 17.1 per cent, then the Adivasis and Dalits are 40 per cent of the total population. Instead of paying serious concerns towards their problems of livelihood, the state machinery has almost declared war against the Tribals. “The entire Adivasi community of the state is looked upon suspiciously as Maoists and the security apparatus unleashes a reign of terror on them. Adivasi pockets of the state have been fortified with central and state security forces. They are denied entry into the forest on which they are dependent for their livelihood for several centuries. Innocent Adivasi’s are crushed in between the Maoist violence and repression by the state. Hundreds of poor, innocent and undefended Adivasis are languishing inside the jails of Odisha being stamped as Maoists. Many of them even do not know about their crime. The recent killing of three Adivasis and two Dalits in Gumudumaha village under Parampanga GP of Baliguda Block in Kandhamal district is the most revealing face of the attitude of the government torwards Adivasi and Dalit communities of the state. These five innocent Adivasis and Dalits were killed form a close distance of 50 to 60 feet on the fateful night at about 8.30PM on July 8 when they were returning home in an auto from Baliguda after withdrawing their MGNREGA wage dues,” it said. The Gumudumaha incident is not an isolated one. Last year two such incidents happened, first it was under Kotagada police station limits of Kandhamala district and again at Karlapat forest in Kalahandi district. In last one year, this is the third incident of killing of the innocent Adivasis terming them as Maoists. Since, no action has been initiated against the responsible security personnel, such incidents are on the rise and as if the state has the licence to kill anybody stamping him/her as Maoist. The militaristic offensive against the innocent Adivasis has further alienated them. The exposure of the Adivasis to the pitiable condition in the villages of Jajpur, a district known for of its rich mineral resources, is horrifying. In one side, glittering lights of the newly established factories, and on the other side of the wall is deep rooted poverty, malnutrition, and crave for compassion of the dispossessed people. So far 19 children have died of malnutrition within two months in Nagada village of Jajpur district and another 18 children are seriously ill due to malnutrition. Nagada too is not an isolated incident. In 2012, in village Kunidenga of Keonjhar and in 2013 in Lahunipada Block of Sundargarh district also witnessed such deaths. Ethiopia or Somalia is no more the examples of horrified deaths of children due to malnutrition. One can very well find the same picture in the state of Odisha. The worst sufferers of poverty and backwardness are the Adivasis and Dalits of the state. The government is paying scant attention to address the basic issues like land, unemployment, wage, safe drinking water, education, and health care system. No system is operating in the hilly terrains and Adivasi pockets. In Odisha, major amount of money sanctioned under Scheduled Tribe sub-plan is marooned. In addition, the amount sanctioned is not being spent. Adequate amount of money in accordance with the tribal population should be earmarked in the budget, the Party demanded. The delegation demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation to the family of each of the deceased and Rs 10 lakh to those injured. Permanent government job should be provided to one member of the family of the deceased. Police officers responsible for the attack must be acted upon. They demanded immediate withdrawal of CRPF and SOG forces from the area and free access of Adivasis to the forest to be ensured. (END)