*From:* ankuran-koraput *Orissa Adibasi Manch activist and Naib-Sarpanch Narayan Hareka brutally murdered by vested interests*
Neither had he known his age nor his associates. We presume it to be around 38 years. He was from Kandha tribal community in a tiny remote village named Kambivalsa in Borigi GP, Narayanpatna Block of Koraput district which is around 100 kms from the district headquarters and 480 kms from Bhubaneswar. The area boarders with AP state and thus Narayan knew Telugu well apart from Oriya and KUI tribal language. He was a stern fighter against liquor brewing, private money lending with exorbitant rate of interest, land alienation by non-tribals in the area and eviction of tribals due to a tiger sanctuary. That was during 80s and 90s when ANKURAN intervened in the area. He was pioneering the land struggle in Borigi.He spearheaded the tribal self rule campaign in his area with support from Orissa Adibasi Manch for enacting PESA in Orissa in true spirit. Recently, he won as Naib-Sarpanch in his GP and reopened the corruption note books of local contractors involved in NREGA and several other social security schemes. There was indiscriminate arrests and torture [even rape of tribal women] of tribals by Greyhound police, OSAP, CRPF alongwith local police. He, under the banner OAM, took up all the cases and sided with tribals. Unfortunately, when recently, the ultras lynched a local non-tribal landlord and warned all of the contractors and liquor brewers to leave the area, Narayan was targeted by a group of landlords of the area who thought that he was conniving with the ultras. In fact, he was a true believer of democratic and constitutional process and never supported violence.He was thus an eye sore of the exploiters of the area. But he did not care and all his initiatives were strongly supported by his wife Kantamani who was also an ex Naib Sarpanch. On 9th May 2008 he came to extract some data on NREGA to the block headquarter and ran from pillar to post to get information. During evening, he was returning to his in-law's house in Dandabadi, 5 kms away from Narayanpatna. At about 7.30 PM he was found lying severely injured just at outskirt of the town and brought back to local PHC for treatment. His right eye was pulled out, throat was cut, a deep cut in his neck, right hand broken into pieces and face severely disfigured. Nevertheless he was alive. With almost no facility in the PHC, there was almost no treatment. Interestingly enough, the doctors kept Narayan in status quo and referred him to Vizag at 11.30 PM and that too without an ambulance. With great difficulty, we could arrange a commander and started moving to Vizag which was almost 200 KMs without any medical gadgets in the vehicle needed for this kind of serious patient. After 20 KMs of travel, at Sarapalli village, Narayan was DEAD and brought back to his native village. Police registered a case of accident and ceased Narayan's motorbike which was into pieces. Police was presurising ANKURAN's staff to bring the body to police station for post mortem. When we did not budge by saying that he was not our staff member and police had to go to his village for this, they were compelled to go. Now, because of grassroot pressures, the police is able to trace out the tractor of the non-tribal contractor which trampled Narayan when he was driving the bike. Narayan's wife does not agree that it was a simple accident and so do we. She says that a group of contractors have just murdered him and thrown him on the road to colour it as an accident. Motorbike can not break into pieces with a simple dash by a tractor. If it was an accident which occurred hardly 1 KM away from the Police Station, why did not the owner of the tractor surrender? We apprehend a nexus among the contractors and the police. The PHC authorities may also be hand in gloves so that a concocted post-mortem report will be produced. During post-mortem no magistrate was present. Narayan is survived by his wife, grown up children who are studying in schools. He came from a very poor family. We request you to do the following- Write to SP, Koraput, Orissa and DG of police, Cuttack Orissa to conduct a crime branch inquiry and take stern action against the culprit. Write to CM, Orissa, Bhubaneswar and MoRD, GOI, New Delhi to look into the pilferage in NREGA and other social security scheme in Narayanpatna block. Extend solidarity with the family by writing condolence letters to Smt Kantamani Hareka, At-Kambivalsa, PO-Borigi, Via-Narayanpatna, Dist-Koraput, Orissa-765014 and if you feel like providing some financial assistance, pl send in the same address or in the name of ANKURAN. Contact for further info- Bidulata Huika State Convenor Orissa Adibasi Manch 6th Lane, Kasturi Nagar Rayagada-765001 Orissa-India Email- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cell- 09437432100 Badal kumar Tah Director ANKURAN [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cell-094375 78468 --
