Amnesty India urged the Government of Odisha to stop police atrocities on the indigenous DongriaKondh community of Niyangiri hills.
“Allegations of police intimidation and ill-treatment of the DongriaKondh community in the Niyamgiri hills are deeply disturbing. It is unacceptable that the police ill-treat and abuse the very people they have a duty to protect. The authorities should carry out a prompt and impartial investigation into the police’s conduct and bring to justice any officer suspected to be responsible,” said senior campaigner, Amnesty IndiaManohar Chauhan. Notably the Amnesty India received complaints from activists about the harassments perpetrated meted out to the tribal inhabitants of the hills by police under plea of branding them as Maoist sympathizers.
Notably, at a Press conference held in Bhubaneswar on October 25, leaders of the NiyamgiriSuraksha Samiti (NSS)had alleged that police arbitrarily pick up, detain and ill-treat members of the community. Several victims also alleged how they were beaten up and terrorised by police on Maoist link.
Lingaraj Azad, a senior organiser of NSS, informed Amnesty India that on October 20,the Superintendent of Police, Kalahandi, called and asked them to stop a planned protest they were scheduled to hold on October 23 or face severe consequences. Therefore, the protest had to be cancelled.
“People have a right to peaceful protest under the Constitution of India and international law. The authorities have a duty to heed the voices of the DongriaKondh community and ensure that their rights are upheld,” said Chauhan.
The members of the DongriaKondh community and activists from the State submitted a petition to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, demanding an impartial investigation into the allegations and stringent action against those found to be responsible.