Having experienced political parties and leaders promising them to fulfil their demands and needs before elections and forgetting to execute them after polls, Kashipur indigenous people presented a comprehensive “People’s Manifesto” to political parties in Bhubaneswar on the eve of the International Human Rights Day.
The manifesto containing various issues being faced by communities, including Dalits and Adivasis, was presented ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The excluded community members launched a ‘cycle yatra’ on November 15, Birsa Munda Divas. This 1,500-km cycle journey culminated on December 9 at Bhubaneswar, where tvillage leaders and representatives presented their manifesto to the political parties in the presence of media reporters.
Unfortunately, while the cycle yatra was proceeding smoothly under the leadership of Nabin Nayak of Jana Jagaran Manch of Kashipur, Nayak met with a fatal accident at Madhapur, Boudh on December 5. Nevertheless, the rally proceeded to Bhubaneswar.
Leaders of Odisha Adibasi Manch, Jana Jagaran Manch, People’s Task Force and Samannowya along with hundreds of Adibasis and Dalits assembled at Nabin’s house to pay homage to the departed soul on Human Rights Day on December 10.
Tribal leaders like Bidulata Huika, Dibakar Sabar, Satya Pratika, Dharuni Saraka, Akshey Pidisika, Anita Pidikaka, Rama Chandra Huika, Laxmi Sabar reminisced Nabin’s contribution towards Adibasi and Dalit empowerment and mourned his untimely death. People’s Task State president Kailash Mishra, Rajesh of the Samannowya and RS Panda from Pallisri, Therubali too expressed deep grief over his death.
“From the status of a daily labourer and vegetable vendor, Nabin got agitated at the plight of the project affected persons of the then Green Field Mining- a joint venture of Tata and Norsk Hydro- a Norwegian aluminium company at Kashipur. He was instrumental in negotiating rights of the people of Kashipur,” said senior scribe Badal Tah representing Society for Fast Justice, Rayagada.
After the condolence meet, it was decided to institute a fellowship in the name of Nabin. The members assured the bereaved family members to stand firmly with them and the cause Nabin fought for.