Nuapada: Brutal killing of innocent tribals and government officials by Maoists has robbed many of their sleep in this district.
The deserted look of Patapani, a village once brimming with farming activities, under Komana police limits narrates how left wing extremism (LWE) has brought the administration to its knees.
Twenty tribal families had fled the village about five years ago in the wake of a young teacher’s murder by the ultras. However, the district administration has so far done little for their safe return, a report said.
The Maoists of Mainapur division entered Nuapada district through Sunabeda Sanctuary in early 2009 and soon went on a killing spree. They killed 24 persons including 12 police personnel, a forester and a teacher by the end of 2016.
While several families were left devastated after losing their breadwinners, many preferred to move to their relatives’ houses to save their lives. The tragic tale of the 20-odd families of Patapani is a case in point.
Habitation developed in this Nuapada-Bolangir border region about 100 years ago and Patapani went on to become a revenue village. The people of this village, with 23 families, used to live on forest produce and had never witnessed any violent activities in the area.
With the spread of education, they were on their way to the mainstream of society. However, things changed for the worse for these villagers when Maoists preferred to stay put in the nearby forest. The presence of the ultras spelled doom for the tribals.
Armed Maoists shot dead Chaitanya Majhi (25), an educated youth of the village who was working as a sikhya sahayak at a nearby village Dongorpali, on the night of February 8, 2013 when his family was away to attend a marriage.
The panicked villagers fled the hamlet the very next morning leaving their landed properties and belongings behind. Since then, they have become a burden on their relatives in various parts of western Orissa.
Chaitanya is survived by his wife Padmini, a six-year-old daughter, aging parents and other family members. They have been staying in Ankapur village under Boden block since his death. An educated Padmini has been running from pillar to post for a job but her pleas have so far fallen on the deaf ears of the administration, the family alleged.
The families of Kaibalya Majhi, Mukunda Majhi, Shiva Majhi and the remaining families, are afraid of returning to their native place.
“We have taken up our plight with the district administration and sought resettlement but it has not yielded any result till date,” Hiradhar Majhi, the uncle of Chaitanya, said.
A year back, the then collector had asked the Komana tehsildar to identify a safe place to rehabilitate these families. However, the order now gathers dust after transfer of the collector, it was learnt.
The families had been living happily with whatever they earned from farming but now they work as labourers, said Nilambar Majhi over phone. Nilambar along with his family is staying at Badadokala in the district.
Meanwhile, some 15-odd people of three families – Ananta Majhi, Raghab Majhi and Markanda Majhi – mustered courage and returned to the village. But they are living a life of isolation in the absence of their dear ones.
Superintendent of police Smit Parmar said the district police would ensure their security if the villagers make up their mind to return to the village. PNN