TNI Bureau: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee significantly escalated its protests on Wednesday concerning the alleged forced displacement of tribal populations and villagers across the state. This intensified action involved a large-scale demonstration in Bhubaneswar, followed by the submission of a memorandum to Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati.
The demonstration, branded “Displaced People’s Roar for Justice,” took place at Lower PMG, marking the culmination of the Congress party’s “Gandhi Patha Nyaya Padayatra” as it arrived in Bhubaneswar from Dhinkia. This march, which commenced on May 6, was initiated to draw attention to critical issues surrounding displacement, the rights of tribal communities, and the safeguarding of water, forests, and land.
A substantial number of displaced families, alongside tribal delegates and Congress party members, took part in the protest. Addressing the assembled crowd, OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das strongly condemned both the state government and industrial conglomerates, accusing them of exploiting displaced communities.
Das articulated his concerns by stating, “The thatched hut of a destitute displaced family stands outside the perimeter of every industrial facility.” He further alleged that industries were acquiring land, forests, and water resources with governmental backing, leaving affected families marginalized and denied justice.
While acknowledging the necessity of industrialization for progress, Das emphasized that the exploitation and mistreatment of local populations in the name of development are unacceptable. He also asserted that tribal communities were being displaced without due consent from Gram Sabhas and without appropriate compensation, thereby contravening the PESA Act, Forest Rights Act, and the LARR Act.
The Congress leader additionally pledged that, should the party assume power, every displaced family that surrendered land for industrial ventures would be granted shareholder status in those respective projects.
Subsequently, a Congress delegation, headed by Bhakta Charan Das, met with Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati at Lok Seva Bhavan. During this meeting, the delegation articulated the party’s apprehensions regarding what they characterized as an escalating pattern of illegal and coercive displacement incidents.
