Dear all, ** As usual the papers are toeing the line of the administration and the TATAs. The question arises that why does a "contractor" for TATAs, moves around with armed "bodyguards" armed with guns. Is Orissa really that lawless?
And would a contractor have the courage to move around with an armed entourage if the Kalinganagar activists were connected with maoists, as accused by the press and the Government. In areas where Maoists hold sway, even policement hide their arms unless moving in a large convoy or group to foil attacks to snatch arms. Can one imagine a contractor with two armed bodyguards moving around in Maoist areas openly. Who is this "contractor" from Bihar moving around with armed "bodyguards" and who has been engaged by TATAs to persuade "villagers". One thought the job of persuasion was entrusted to NGOs - does one need armed goons from Bihar to do that? BTW the OIC of the Kalinganagar PS Mr. Mund was also the OIC at Kashipur when the violence was taking place in that area. This killing is nothing but an attempt to eliminate the leadership of the Kalinganagar movement through importing hired gunmen from the hometowns of TATAs, so that the tribals could be forced off their lands. ** *Regards* ** *Nachiketa* ** ** *VVJM activist shot dead* Statesman News Service JAJPUR, May 2: Kalinga Nagar relapsed to yet another phase of agitation following the death of a 52-year-old anti-displacement tribal activist who was shot dead by a security guard of Mr Aravinda Singha, contractor of a steel company yesterday. Enraged locals re-launched a road block repeating what they had done for 15 months following the 2 January 2006 police firing in which 14 tribals were killed.The deceased Amin Banara of Baligotha village was a strong supporter of Visthapan Virodhi Janmanch, the outfit leading the movement against displacement of tribals in Kalinga Nagar area. Police said the incident occurred when Banara was talking to some of the villagers near the entrance gate of Rohit Ferotech Limited. It is learnt that Mr Singha was trying to dissuade the villagers from opposing projects when the tussle took place. In *one version the villagers attacked Mr Singha and his security guard fired in defence*, while the *other conflicting version was that both groups clashed leading to the firing*. Mr Singha, a contractor of Jharkhand along with his security guards reached the spot in a vehicle and spoke to Banara. There was an altercation leading to a scuffle between the two groups. Three rounds were fired and Banara died on the spot. Conflicting versions of the event are doing the rounds here. *One version is that Mr Singha was trying to dissuade the villagers.* With Banara's death spreading in the area, hundreds of tribals rushed to the spot and prevented the police from sending the body for postmortem. The angry tribals took out a procession with the body to Vir Bhoomi, the memorial constructed for the 14 people killed in police firing on 2 January, 2006 during a protest against acquisition of farmland for industries. They held a meeting there and also squatted on the NH 200, connecting port town Paradip and Daitari. Meanwhile, police have taken Mr Singha and his driver into custody and seized the vehicle."Aravinda Singha has admitted that his security guards fired at Banara when his supporters attacked them. Efforts are on to nab the security guards and they would be rounded up soon," said Mr KC Mund, inspector-in-charge of Kalinga Nagar. According to Kalinga Nagar additional superintendent of police Mr Kartik Chandra Swain, "the two were arrested near Panikoili when they were trying to escape from the district and the vehicle was seized". Tribal leaders said that Multi National Companies' were trying to intimidate and use force to supress tribals who are opposing displacement. Chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik professes 'peaceful industrialisation' but the reverse is taking place all over the state as private armies and goons are deployed, be it at Jajpur, Jagagsinghpur or Paradip, they said. Janmanch general secretary Mr Rabindra Jarika alleged that Mr Singha had been hired to eject or eliminate tribals opposing industrial projects. "The MNC's are attacking innocent tribals who have been fighting for their lives and livelihood. We have re-launched the road blockade agitation," said Mr Jarika. But the tribal leader did not say how long it would continue. It may be noted that the VVJM had put up a 15-month road blockade at Vir Bhoomi on Paradeep-daitary express highway, the life line of Orissa since the killing in 2 January, 2006 and lifted it last year, after the Cuttack High Court verdict.Today the police managed to conduct a postmortem of Banara's body. The cremation is to take place at Vir Bhoomi. The situation continued to remain tense in the industrial complex area on the second consecutive day today. --
