Malkangiri: Thousands of men and women of Koya tribal community living along river Saberi in various panchayats of this district Friday got together at Katamateru to protest against their proposed displacement.
They also detained two staffers of a private firm who were making a survey inside a nearby forest.
There will be bloodshed if the administration deprives them of their rights over land, water and forest, the protesters warned at the meeting.
Apart from some forest department officials, the meeting was attended by local MLA Manas Madkami, district tribal development council chairman Adma Rawal, Kalimela block chairperson Mala Madhi and ward members and heads of several villages.
According to the tribals, they eke out a living by collecting minor forest produce and use the water of Saberi for their daily chores. However, a conspiracy is being hatched to destroy the natural resources and environment and plans are afoot to displace the tribals for the benefit of some companies, they added.
They said two employees – Tanmay Swain and Dharmendra Pattnaik – of a consulting agency Mintex have been making a survey on 1,000 acre of jungle and counting the trees near Katamateru village for the last few days. As the two were doing the job without the permission of the forest department, the villagers detained them suspecting it as a preliminary work before their displacement. They handed over the duo to the forest department.
Locals alleged the government is planning to set up a cement factory on the forest land. Similar attempts had been made about 50 years back and the villagers opposed the move at that time, it was learnt.
The tribals threatened to take the law into their hands if anyone would set eyes on the land of their forefathers and harm the environment.
Ex-MLA Manish Kunjam of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh and Sukma district tribal development council chairman also attended the rally and flayed the government for not supporting the tribals.
The tribals living in both the states won’t allow any mining activities in the area, they said.
Forester Dibakar Jena and other officials, who were present at the congregation, said they have no information about the survey. He would apprise the higher-ups of the incident following which action would be taken, Jena said. PNN