Thirty-four tribal families of Koksara block in Kalahandi district were forced to flee from their homes when a group of villagers from Gotamunda allegedly attacked them on July 3.Over 200 members of these families including children have currently taken shelter in a school building in Chandahandi block of Nabarangpur district.
The families had migrated to the Sahajkhol Reserve Forest area bordering Kalahandi district nearly 20 years ago. And they were living in Bhatapani and Dumerpani villages under the Ampani police station.
The exact cause of conflict between two villages was yet to be ascertained. However, the victims were allegedly cultivating forest land which was opposed by the neighbouring villagers of Gotamunda, who are said to be the members of Van Surakhya Samiti (VSS).
It is alleged that hundreds of villagers assaulted the residents of Bhatapani and Dumerpani and set fire to the houses, destroyed banana trees and took away their domestic animals. The victims have alleged during the attack the mob threatened to kill them if they did not leave the area immediately. The tribals have lodged a complaint with the Ampani police station. “We have registered an atrocity case and are investigating the matter,” Ampani police station IIC Krushna Chandra Swain said.
After the incident Antodaya chairman Dilip Kumar Das filed a case with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking justice for the poor tribal families.
Das has alleged that the incident is the fallout of instigation by forest officials. He stated that the victims were cultivating and earning their livelihood. Besides, they have been getting ration by the Government as they have voter IDs and Aadhaar cards of the region.“It is unfortunate that the miscreants poisoned the well of the villagers,” he added.
DFO South Division T Ashok Kumar said that though the victims had encroached the forest land neither they were evicted nor was a single Government official present when the incident occurred.
“We have video footage of the incident. Had our men forcibly evicted them we would have served an eviction notice and lodged the FIR with police about the forest land encroachment,” Kumar said