Tribals of Niyamgiri plan protest against SC order

Bhawanipatna/Bhubaneswar: It was a landmark Supreme Court judgement in 2013 empowering gram sabhas to take a call on whether to allow mining in Niyamgiri that brought an end to the Dongria Kondhs’ decade-long fight against bauxite mining in the surrounding hills. Five years down the line, another Supreme Court order has now raised their concern.
As the Niyamgiri tribals get ready to celebrate their two-day annual Niyam Raja Parba, their biggest festival, the mood is rather sombre. Many apprehend they might lose their ancestral homes in the wake of the February 13 Supreme Court ruling which has ordered eviction of more than 11 lakh tribals across the country whose land rights have not been settled by the state governments. The Dongria Kondhs are planning to hold rallies in their region against the apex court order, for which they blame the governments at the Centre and the state.

Lingaraj Azad, convenor of Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti, an outfit fighting for the protection of tribal rights, said if the order is implemented, hundreds of tribals living in the forest land for generations will have to vacate their native place. “After the Niyam Raja Parba ends on Sunday, we intend to start an agitation to press for our rights,” Azad said. He said the central and state governments are to blame for the Supreme Court verdict. “While the state failed to give us the land rights, the Centre did not represent the case properly,” he claimed.

The SC has asked states to file their affidavits by July 12 regarding the eviction of those whose applications for land rights under the Forest Rights Act have been rejected. More than 5,000 people from 112 villages have been residing in and around Niyamgiri hills. Official data shows that out of 590 claims over forest rights, only 310 have been considered.

Lado Sikoka, president of Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti said the state government deliberately rejected many claims. “Where will these tribals live if the government evicts them?” Sikoka asked.

Sidhartha Nayak, a Bhawanipatna-based lawyer, who has been fighting for the rights of forest dwellers, said the state government lacks sincerity in settling tribal rights under the Forest Rights Act. “The government offered just 10 decimal land to tribals who have been cultivating more than one acre of land. So, many of them didn’t accept the pattas (land records), resulting in rejection of their claims,” the lawyer said.

Dillip Kumar Das, who heads an NGO, Antodaya, that works on land rights, said they are planning to file a review petition. T Ashok Kumar, divisional forest officer (south) of Kalahandi, assured that they would review the claims within three months so that those eligible are not left out.