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In Rayagada Gajapathi districts of Orissa, people’s
struggle is marching ahead facing police repression and harassment. Last year in
the month of November, people mostly Tribals and Dalits of Gudari block in
Rayagada district, seized crops from the landlord’s land. The movement started
on 2nd November under the banner of Chasi Mulia Samiti (CMS) in villages and
spread to over 32 villages. In this crop seizing movement people from more than
a hundred villages participated, taking arms in hand to give direct support and
seized crop from about 500 acres of land. In crop seizing, the number of
participants varied from one village to another. 400 to 1000 people participated
in every village struggle. Parallel to this movement the landlords of Gudari,
Naira and Padmapur formed one association and put pressure on government to take
action against the people’s movement. About 25 platoon armed forces came and
arrested a total of 72 landless and poor peasants including 4 women from 8
villages and kept them in jail for three to four months. By disconnecting the
roads, large-scale mobilisation of people (armed with local weapons) organised
blockades. The police and government officers imposed section 144 against the
people. After concentrating more forces, the police used lathi-charge and blank
firing. The people retaliated against the police forces in Dimiriguda. In the
protest against police repression one rally was organised at Chandrapur where
1000 people participated in Gudari itself 4000 people (armed with local weapons)
took a procession on 29th November, breaking the 144 section.
Similarly in Bhuvaneshwar, the Capital of the
state, CMS along with the Bharat Naba Juba Shabha organised one huge gathering
and demonstration, demanding an enquiry on police repression and several other
issues like (i) distribution of government rice at the rate of Rs. 2/- and salt
at Rs. 3/-, (ii) to lift the ban on common salt, (iii) compensations for those
tribals of Mandrabaju, Raighar and Mai Kancha who died or were injured by police
firing, etc.
Though the arrested peasants were released on bail,
the police continued their raids and arrests in a terror campaign. In this
period one huge gathering and demonstration was organised at Rayagada under the
banner of the Marudi Daman Pratiradhak Manch. twelve thousand people took part
in this programme and demanded: (1) to stop police repression, (2) withdrawal of
POTA, (3) for rice at Rs. 2/- and Salt at Rs. 3/-, (4) distribution of ceiling
surplus land and waste land, (5) for irrigation facilities to all lands etc.
The police repression and landlords terror creates
fear among the people. Due to this situation people are unable to cultivate
those lands where they took crops last November. The majority of the landlords
are not cultivating their lands. Some landlords took the help of the police to
plough the land. CMS committees organised meetings, pasted posters threatening
the landlords. These activities also created fear among the landlords who
stopped cultivation on those lands.
Raids for Rice
In spite of police terror the militant people of
Rayagada-Gajapati, under the leadership of the organisation, raided government
godowns and distributed rice among the poor people. The Basadara area Committee
took it as a campaign. On June 12th night people conducted raids on 5 panchayat
godowns. In the rice raid 400 militia took part in Titimir and Vinpur panchayat
of Gunpur block and distributed 1000 bags of rice in the Sorapedli panchayat of
Gundari block. In Gudari block 200 militia participated and distributed 290 bags
of rice. In Nuagod panchayat of Padmapur block 200 militia participated and
distributed 170 bags of rice. In Mandimera panchayat of Mohana Block 300 militia
took part in the raid and distributed all the 37 bags rice (that much only
present) in the godown.
After this programme, police repression again
intensified. The people of Golanda in Karlaghati panchayat in Gudari retaliated
against the police in which one person was injured in the police firing. In
Jargudi of Mohana block the women bravely retaliated against the police. The
police arrested 15 people from both Rayagada and Gajapathi district. The police
have been conducting raids and have stolen the people’s property including their
food materials. One protest rally was organised at Gunupur against police
harassment and arrests. Hundreds of people took part in the rally.
Basadara movement is forging ahead fighting the
State repression.
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