Bandh cripples Kalahandi, southern districts unaffected

Koraput/Bhawanipatna: The 12-hour bandh call given by the Congress in eight KBK districts on Saturday evoked mixed response. It had little impact in Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts, once a Congress stronghold, but life was completely paralysed in Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada, Sonepur and Rayagada districts with shops and markets remaining shut and public transport system remaining off the road.
The party had given the bandh call in protest against the arrest of its tribal leader Pradeep Majhi and demanding land pattas for tribals under the Forest Rights Act.
The Congress workers picketed in front of government offices and banks in many parts of Kalahandi district. The workers burnt tyres at different places on the National Highway for which commuters were stranded for hours.
Senior Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das told the media that the government's anti-tribal policy cannot be tolerated. The FRA was passed in 2006 during the UPA regime but instead of providing pattas to tribals is exploiting them, he said. "When the Supreme Court directed that mining activities cannot take place on Niyamgiri hill, why is the government not providing pattas to tribals. It is violating the constitutional rights of the forest dwellers," he said.
SP (Kalahandi) Brijesh Kumar Rai said more than 300 workers were arrested in Kalahandi and no untoward incident was reported from the district.
The bandh had no impact in Koraput district with markets, educational institutions and offices remaining open. Buses remained off road for a few hours in Koraput and Nabarangpur districts as Congress workers blocked roads by burning tyres. However, ambulance service was not stopped. In Rayagada district, police arrested 20 Congress workers while they were forcibly trying to enter the collectorate. "Our fight for the cause of tribals will continue and it will be intensified in coming days," said Congress whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
Police said elaborate security arrangements were made across the four districts in south Odisha and barring minor issues not major untoward incident was reported during the bandh period.
Police arrested Majhi and 18 Congress activists for beating up the forest range officer of Raighar and ransacking the range office on June 25. Earlier, Congress observed Nabarangpur bandh on June 28 demanding Majhi's release. A local court in Nabarangpur granted conditional bail to Majhi and 18 of his associates on Friday.