For the last couple of years South Orissa has become the centre of powerful mass movements in the state. The poor tribal and dalit people of this region are increasingly participating in the revolutionary politics. Under the banner of Lok Sangram Manch (LSM) and AIKMS the people of Gajapati, Rayagada, Kandhamala and Ganjam districts are launching mass movements on various issues. There were many large scale demonstrations, rallies, Gheraoes and Rasta Rokos in different parts of this region. The ruling classes under the leadership of BJD-BJP coalition have taken many repressive measures to suppress these mass movements.

Hundreds of activists of Lok Sangram Manch were arrested on various false charges. Five activists along with Comrade Bikram Mallik, a young tribal leader and the state committee member of LSM, were detained under NSA for the ‘crime’ of organising struggles for land.

Successful Movement of Tribal Cashew Nut Growers

In the Kashinagar and Gumma block of Gajapati district the tribal people are cultivating cashew nut on a massive scale. For the last two decades, encouraged by the government, tribals of this area planted cashew in their Podu (Shifting Cultivation) lands also. Today for many tribal families of Gajapati District, cashew nut has become one of their main source of livelihood. But due to conspiracies of big cashew traders, local lease holders, corrupt Govt. officials and ruling class politicians these cashew growers are mercilessly being exploited for years. The local cashew lease holders, by bribing the officials, get the right of cashew collection from forest areas every year. After getting this lease they monopolise the collection  by forcing the tribals to sell their product at very low price and not even allowing other small traders to purchase cashew nut at a better price. They even harass and attack those small traders and tribal people who dare to go against their will with the help of their own goondas and local police.

But this year the cashew growers of this area organised a mass movement under the leadership of LSM and AIKMS. On April 5 thousands of cashew growers marched to the District headquarters at Paralakhemundi and gave a memorandum to the Collector for immediate intervention to solve the problems of cashew growers. After that a series of meetings were organised in the area and the lease holders along with their goons were physical prevented by the people and are not allowed to collect cashew at a low price. Contrary to the usual practice even the administration did not come to their rescue due to this movement. Finally this forced the cashew traders and lease holders to offer a better price to the people and their monopoly came to an end for this year.

Forest People in Ganjam Establish Their Rights on Land

Recently, in the forest areas of Sorada and Dharakote Block of Ganjam District, there was a big mass movement of the people. The Forest Department, under a World Bank funded plantation project, tried to carry out plantation in this area. But the lands selected by these officials were mostly the cultivable lands of the local tribal and other poor people living inside the forest for generations. The real aim of this plantation drive was to syphon out the huge World Bank money by the Forest Department officials with the connivance of local ruling class agents who dominate in the so-called Vana Surakshya Samitis formed by the Department. Initially they were able to create some panic among the poor cultivators and even extracted some money from some individuals assuring them not to select their land for plantation. But after the intervention of LSM and AIKMS, people were organised and a big demonstration of more than three thousand people was held at Sorada on 12th May with gherao of the local sub-Collector demanding immediate withdrawal of the plantation drive. After this gherao people in several villages chased the police and forest officials who came for carrying out plantation out of their villages. This forced the forest department to withdraw their so-called plantation project. This successful movement of the forest living people has encouraged the border villages of Kandhamala district to form LSM units there.

South Orissa Paralysed for a Day

On the call of Lok Sangram Manch and AIKMS, a successful Rasta Roko was organised through out on July 4th. This call was given demanding reduction of bus fare and to roll back the privatization of rural drinking water system in the state. The bus fare was earlier hiked by 5 paise per k.m.. under the pretext of enhancement of fuel price. Even when the fuel price was reduced, the bus fare continued to be the same. Recently the Naveen Patnaik Govt., in the name of giving more power to panchayats, has transferred the drinking water facilities to them. This is a part of the World Bank dictated reform to shift the responsibility “to the people” leading to total privatization. Henceforth the drinking water system at village level, which was maintained by the Block authorities, will be maintained by the Pani Committees formed with the people. Instead of getting drinking water free of cost people will have to pay the user’s charge towards maintenance of the facilities like tube wells and sanitary wells. Besides the repairing and maintenance cost the people will have to deposit an amount for a new tube well. This is in line with the so-called pani panchayats started to privatise irrigation sector in Orissa.

The 24-hour Rasta Roko called on these demands was total. Thousands of LSM and AIKMS activists blocked the main highways of Southern districts in several places. The police has arrested more than  one hundred activists in different places and resorted to lathicharge on the agitators at Luhagudi (Gajapati).