Malkangiri: Two Odisha ministers Thursday visited violence-hit Malkangiri district and reviewed the situation, while the administration has extended the suspension of internet services by another 12 hours.
Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo and MSME minister Gokulananda Mallick reached the district headquarters town of Malkangiri and chaired a meeting with senior officials, including the Collector, ADGP (Naxal operation), DIG (Southern Range), SP, on the prevailing situation at MV-26 village.
The DyCM was informed in the meeting that no violence has been reported in MV-26 village in the last 60 hours, an official said.
The clash erupted at MV-26 village when a tribal mob belonging to neighbouring Rakhelguda village allegedly attacked the Bengali settlement area Sunday and Monday.
The tribals were angry over the recovery of the headless body of a tribal woman from the bank of the river Poteru December 4. They suspected that a man from MV-26 village killed the woman, whose severed head was also found at a distance of 15 kilometres Wednesday.
A Home department notification Thursday said: “As per the request of Collector and District Magistrate, the Home Department extends prohibition of the use and access of social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, X and any other through internet and other medium of data services for another 12 hours till 12:00 midnight of today (11.12.2025) in Malkangiri district.”
Singh Deo also met representatives of Malkangiri Bengali Samaj (MBS) and District Adivasi Samaj Mahasangh at the collector’s office here and heard their grievances. Both groups have submitted a memorandum to the DyCM and apprised their demands while agreeing to cooperate in the restoration of peace in the district.
Speaking after the meeting, Singh Deo stressed maintaining peace. He directed the administration to ensure law and order in the district and prevent further escalation of violence.
In its petition, the Malkangiri Bengali Samaj has expressed concern over the safety of the Bengali settlers who have been staying in the tribal dominated district for 60 years after being rehabilitated by the Central government in the 1960s.
While demanding a high-level enquiry over the violence at MV-26 and the Rakhalguda murder case and arrest of the culprits, the MBS alleged that attacks on them were made by some influential people. During the riot, every house and household was attacked, they said.
“The people were saved as they fled from the scene, but their houses were destroyed and torched by the mob. All the houses were burned to ashes. After the attack, the way houses were damaged and burnt, some evidence was found of the use of dynamite and gelatin. We cannot deny the involvement of Maoist ultras behind such an attack,” said MBS president Gouranga Karmakar.
The MBS demanded that the government provide seeds, fertilisers and all necessary things to cultivate for the upcoming season free of cost, as the people have lost everything in the violence.
Tribals, on the other hand, claimed that their lands are being forcibly encroached by non-tribals, and Malkangiri witnessed a rise in crime due to the influx of infiltrators between 1970 and 1980. The Bangladeshi infiltrators should be immediately evicted from Malkangiri.
The District Adivasi Samaj Mahasangh, Malkangiri, in its petition to the deputy chief minister, alleged that non-tribals are fraudulently purchasing tribal lands and encroaching upon community land. The tribals are at the receiving end due to the non-implementation of different laws, including the PESA (Panchayat Extension to Schedule Area) Act.
They demanded that the family of the deceased tribal woman be given land rights over which she was eking out a living by cultivation. “She was killed over the land dispute, and her family should be given rights over that piece of land,” the tribals said.
The police have arrested a 42-year-old man from MV-26 village who allegedly killed the tribal woman over a dispute on sharecropping.
Meanwhile, over 300 people of MV-26 have returned to their houses after the tension eased to some extent. The administration has deployed a large contingent of BSF jawans and Odisha Armed Police Force personnel in the area.
The opposition BJD Thursday constituted a fact-finding team following instructions from party president Naveen Patnaik to visit Malkangiri district to assess the situation.
“The team has been entrusted with the responsibility of visiting the affected areas, assessing the ground situation, and submitting a detailed report to the party president,” a BJD release said.