Thousands of Dongria and Jhornia Kondhs of 162 villages of Kalahandi and Rayagada districts wielding traditional weapons under the banner of the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti took out a march on Wednesday across Muniguda of Rayagada district followed by a meeting at Munikhol where they vowed to say at the proposed Gram Sabhas “No mining at Niyamgiri Hill, no Vedanta at lanjigarh”.
The Supreme Court has directed the State Government to hold Gram Sabhas in the villages to seek locals’ views on bauxite mining for Vedanta Aluminium limited.
The seven-day-long Padayatra conducted by the tribal leaders which had started on May 16 from Kalyansinghpur Haat of Rayagada and Belamba of Kalahandi concluded on Wednesday after covering 112 villages of both the two districts in the Niyamgiri Hill area.
Earlier, the State Government had proposed to the Central Government to conduct Gram Sabhas in five villages of Kalahandi and seven villages of Rayagada district. Reacting to this, social activist Prafulla Samantara told the media that the State Government has again violated the guidelines of Supreme Court, which has “clearly said in its verdict” that the inhabitants living in and around 10 km of the Niyamgiri Hill would be included in the Gram Sabhas.
Activist lingaraj Azad said the tribals’ movement would not end till the Gram Sabhas are held. Tribal leader lado Sikoka, CPI(Ml) New Democracy leader Bhala Sadangi, Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti president Kumuti Majhi and Kalahandi Sachetana Nagarik Manch convener Satya Mahar were also among those who addressed the meeting.