Decked up in traditional attire, with hairpins adorning her head, rings on all 10 fingers, and colourful beads around her neck, Minjali Sikaka from the Dongria Kondh tribe in the secluded village of Lakhpadar, nestled within Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hill Range, appeared as though she was ready to grace a social gathering.
However, beneath the facade of her attire lies a truth untold — she was purportedly persuaded into surrendering as an active cadre of the banned CPI (Maoist), with the promise of being paid ₹2 lakh under the scheme of the government’s surrender-cum-rehabilitation of Naxalites, in the presence of Rayagada Superintendent of Police Harisha B.C, and fellow Dongria Kondh members. But she did not agree to the idea as it would have labeled her as a Maoist cadre and tainted her family name.
In Lakhpadar, where 32 families reside, she was not the sole inhabitant facing such allegations. Seven other villagers have faced such charges of alleged ties with the outlawed CPI (Maoist) over the past 15 to 20 years. Two of these individuals from Lakhpadar have since passed away.
This pattern extends beyond Lakhpadar as numerous Dongria Kondh tribals have also been detained and sent to jail by the authorities on suspicion of Maoist affiliations.
Just last year, nine Dongria Kondh tribals and an activist from Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti were charged with sedition, only to have the charges later dropped by the police.
Meanwhile, about 12 km away from Lakhpadar, the stage was set for Ms. Minjali’s supposed surrender at Parasali, the panchayat headquarters, on Sunday. Villagers reported that the district police had assured them to consider dropping the Maoist-related cases against her and others. In the past 10 days, the Rayagada district police chief made two visits to Lakhpadar in an attempt to build trust among the Dongria Kondhs.
However, the Rayagada SP did not attend Sunday’s meeting leaving the men and women of the Dongria communities, who had descended from the hills in hopes of resolving their legal issues, feeling disillusioned. Frustrated by the continued branding of their community members as Naxalites along with their sympathisers, they announced a boycott of the upcoming elections.
Minjali Sikaka, a Dongria Kondh, is seen along with other women from the tribe at Lakhpadar village in Rayagada district of southern Odisha. The State police and administration allege that she has links to Naxals, which she has denied. | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
“I have no association with the CPI (Maoist) whatsoever. It was a shock to me when police claimed I had ties to left-wing extremism. I have been living with my family in Lakhpadar, and I have visited cities like Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Rayagada, and the block headquarters town of Kalyansinghpur. If I were involved with the CPI (Maoist), I would never have ventured beyond my village,” Ms. Minjali reasoned.
She firmly added: “Even though my family struggles financially, I would never accept ₹2 lakh to surrender [to the police].”
When reached for comment, Nilakantha Behera, inspector in-charge of Kalyansinghpur police station, acknowledged Ms. Minjali’s case but clarified that it was an “old matter”.
Major political parties rarely visit the scattered Dongria settlements within Niyamgiri Hill Range, deeming it a ‘waste’ of time due to the dispersed population.
“We understand that we are not significant enough in numbers to sway election outcomes for mainstream parties, but by boycotting the elections, we can at least assert our existence,” stated Ladda Sikaka, a community leader who faces numerous legal cases with many of them related to alleged Maoist connections.
“The Dongria tribes had never encountered cases related to the CPI (Maoist) until they opposed the bauxite mining plan in Niyamgiri Hills. Our steadfast resistance led to the government abandoning the mining proposal, but we are paying a heavy price for safeguarding biodiversity.”
A row of houses belonging to Dongria Kondh tribe at Lakhpadar village in southern Odisha. | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
In the early 2000s, the Odisha Mining Corporation proposed bauxite mining in Niyamgiri, a very rich biodiversity forested region, to supply Vedanta Group’s alumina refinery at Lanjigarh. Allegedly, this rush for mining rights disregarded many environmental regulations. The Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling mandated that mining clearance required consent from gram sabhas, including Dongria representatives, paving the way for what could be India’s first environmental referendum. The Dongria Kondhs overwhelmingly rejected the proposal.
Stating that Dongria Kondhs are unfairly burdened with criminal cases due to supposed connections with CPI (Maoist), Krushna Sikaka, recently released on bail after six months of incarceration, stated: “None of the police inquiries have uncovered any evidence of our supposed affiliation with CPI (Maoist). While their boycott declaration might seem insignificant, the underlying discontent runs far deeper.”
Dongria Kondhs’ villages come under Bissamkatak Assembly constituency. Interestingly, the Dongria Kondhs are represented by Jagannath Saraka, who is Odisha’s Tribal Development Minister. The region is going to the polls on May 13.
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