|
Mandrabaju, a remote
Adivasi village in Mandmera panchayat of Mohana block of Gajapati district in
Orissa is best known for its heroic sacrifice. lt has exposed the nature of the
Indian state and its brutal repression. The Orissa police fired and shot dead
seven Adivasis of this village on 30 December 1999 in the presence of the
Thasildar and other officers.
The Kui Adivasis of
this village, under the banner of CMS (Chasi Mulia Samithi), have been fighting
for their ancestral land, which was seized by some non-tribal exploiters a few
decades ago. They started their movement in 1998. Facing police repression they
defiantly cultivated their former lands for the last two years. Following the 8
December 1998 incident of R Udayagiri (in which 5,000 Adivasis organised and
broke the R Udayagiri sub-jail and killed two reactionaries inside), the Orissa
government had posted a police camp near the Mandrabaju village in the name of
maintaining law and order and protecting the life and wealth of the non-tribal
land occupiers.
Since then, policemen
of this camp along with the non-tribal land occupiers have stolen the goats,
hens, and corn of the Adivasis. They have also stolen dal and other fruits from
their fields. They also stole their traditionally brewed liquor. On some
occasions they destroyed their wealth. A few months ago the police of another
camp which is also very near this village gang raped an Adivasi woman, Sabela
Majhi. Protesting against this barbaric act, thousands of Adivasis gheraoed the
Nedingpodar police camp of Rayagada district and snatched 8 rifles from that
camp. However, the Collector made false promises and was able to reclaim the
rifles.
All these incidents
made the Adivasis of Mandrabaju angry with the government and its police.
Demanding justice and hoping to procure back their stolen things, about 60
Adivasis, including women, demonstrated in front of the police camp, armed with
their traditional weapons. The police fired on the demonstrators and killed
Kandamai, a woman who was an eyewitness to the police robbery. Then one after
another, they killed activists of the CMS: Laxman Majhi, Deuda Majhi, Dedi Majhi
and Dikisa Majhi.
The Adivasis
retaliated with their traditional weapons. They seriously injured five
policemen. After this incident, the cowards ran after two Adivasi children,
Pungasa and 11 year old Mulanga, and killed them. Pungasa was a sixth class
student in the Raipanka school. Then the police set fire to their own camp and
ran away. On their way these policemen also tried to kill another Adivasi but
failed.
This heroic struggle
of Adivasis for land and against the repressive Indian state has been presented
as a communal incident by the police department and various political parties
who are after all the pet dogs of the Indian ruling classes. But all should know
that the land dispute that took place between the two villages was between the
Adivasis and the non-Adivasi land grabbers.
Protesting this
brutal action of the Indian state, thousands of adivasis organised a meeting at
Mandrabaju on 12 January 2000. On that day two policemen were killed by the
Adivasis in a retaliatory action along with one non-tribal broker. This meeting
was organised by the Chasi Mulia Samithi, and one temporary martyr’s column has
also been built. On that day 3,000 Adivasis pledged a fruitful revenge.
|
