Pressing for a nine-point charter of demands, the Kui Kandha Unnayan Samiti held a district-level meeting here on Thursday.
Their demands included appointment of Kui language teachers, establishment of Kandha development society, provision of Kui language training to teachers, distribution of land patta among tribals, recognition of fake tribal certificates in the district, construction of high school at Adaba and Kui girls’ high school at Chirikot.
Earlier, over 10,000 Kui tribals led by Unnayan Samiti district president Badisha Majhi took out a massive procession from the Hilltop High School at Mohan block here and submitted a memorandum for the Chief Minister to Mohana Tehsildar Soumendra Kumar Dash. The tribals also presented a copy of the memorandum to the State Education Minister, the Tribal Welfare Minister, the Revenue Minister, the Chief Secretary, the Education Secretary, the OPEPA director, the RDC (SD) and Gajapati Collector.
later, the Samiti through a meeting at Dhanupanka alleged that the State Government had not taken any remarkable step for the development of Kui tribals in the district. “Instead of efforts for the development of the Kandha tribals, there has been a conspiracy to deprive them of their legitimate demands and natural rights,” the Samiti alleged. “Though the Kui and Kandh tribals are staying in most of the blocks of the district, the Government has not taken any step regarding the recruitment of Kui and Kandha teachers,” the Samiti said.
The district Kui Adivasi Sangha threatened to intensify its agitation if the Government failed to provide legitimate rights to the Kui and
Kandha tribals.