Post News Network
Kalimela/Malkangiri, Nov 3: More than 40 families of Kanaguda village under Kalimela block in Malkangiri district Tuesday have fled their homes fearing capital punishment by Maoists in a kangaroo court.
Some of the villagers included former Maoist sympathizers.
“We’re paying the price for surrendering to police and joining mainstream society,” said one of the villagers on the verge of tears. While some villagers are taking shelter in relatives’ homes, most have no destination in mind and simply want to leave.
Hundreds of villagers in this district had reportedly surrendered to police expecting government assistance in rebuilding their lives. However, officials did not bother providing minimum security cover to the villagers, it was alleged.
Meanwhile, the rebels picked up two villagers – Rama Marhi (28) and Soma Madkami (29) – October 14 and later killed them. The incident triggered panic in the village. What was worse was that no one from the administration turned up to offer support to the bereaved families or to denounce the brutal killings.
Sunday, the ultras held a kangaroo court near the village and asked the residents to vacate the village. The ultras warned the villagers that they would have to pay with their lives if the order is not carried out. The guerrillas even asked the residents not to take anything with them and put restrictions on harvesting of crops. The property left behind by the fleeing villagers would be distributed among the Maoist sympathisers, a villager under condition of anonymity quoted the rebels as saying.
However, the 40 families were seen leaving the village with their cattle and belongings. They would work as labourers in other villages to eke out a living, the villagers said.
The matter is being examined and the administration would take appropriate measures to ensure their rehabilitation, superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said.
