Sports Minister Sudam Marandi has sought Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s intervention on the safety and security of Odisha-origin tribals living in Assam.
Marandi, who is also the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, led a group of tribal students and apprised the Chief Minister of the condition of Odisha-origin tribals in Assam. He said a large number of tribals hailing from Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts had migrated to Assam as long as 100 years ago and are living there, and some of them have been victims of the present militant attacks. He is in touch with them, he said.
Marandi said tribals, mostly belonging to the Santhal, Ho and Munda communities who have traditional knowledge of tea cultivation, had migrated to Assam to work there in tea estates and are fighting for tribal status there. He demanded a compensation of `20 lakh each for the families who have lost their men in the attacks on tribals by the Bodo militants. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who also hails from Odisha and is a tribal himself, is camping in Assam to monitor the situation there following the attacks in which at least 70 tribals have been massacred.