NCHRO condemns the actions of the authoritarian police in Dhinkia village, Odisha and the government’s attempt to displace its local populace
In the Dhinkia village in Odisha, the collusion of corporations and government is being manifested in the routinely egregious manner. The people there have been protesting against the attempts to displace them and hand over the land to the Jindal Steel World (JSW) Ltd.
Five to six people, including leader of the Jindal Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (JPSS), Debendra Swain, and activist Narendra Mohanty, have been arrested by the police. They also lathi-charged the people there. The police have beaten people there earlier as well, and have also damaged the betel vines there, which is a source of livelihood for the community there for generations. The people there are being displaced to construct a steel plant at the place.
Women and children were also beaten up by the police. The authoritarian and undemocratic tacts of the police, under the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, is utterly shameful. It speaks all the more to the collusion of corporations and the government that we’ve been seeing all over the country, and indeed, the world. There is no regard for the people and they are being crushed for the corporations to maximise their profit.
There are also claims that torture was meted out to Debendra Swain, as his face and eyelids were swollen when he was produced in court at Erasam court at 2 am. The police claims that those were there because of the tussle during the arrest.
Human rights organisation the National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) condemns resolutely the undemocratic and authoritarian tactics of the Odisha government. The government should be answerable to the people and not to corporations that exist solely to maximise their profits.
We demand that the attempt to hand over the land to the Jindal Steel World (JSW) Ltd. be immediately ceased. The effort of the people in Dhinkia, Odisha must be accompanied by a firm solidarity from all progressive peoples across the country.
We stand in strong solidarity with the people there, and urge every justice-loving individual and organisation to come forward against this collusion of the government and the corporations, and in solidarity with the people of Dhinkia village, Odisha.
Sincerely,
Advocate Ansar Indori,
National Secretary,
NCHRO
