Bengal, Jharkhand shutdown over Kalinga killings
Purulia
(West Bengal): A red alert has been sounded in the border
areas of West Bengal and Jharkhand after a 24-hour shutdown
call was given by the Communist Party of India (CPI) - Maoists
this morning. The shutdown is being observed to protest
the killing of 12 tribals in police firing in Kalinga Nagar
on January 2. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has also extended
support to the shutdown. Police patrolling has been intensified
in the three South Bengal districts of Purulia, Bankura
and West Midnapur, while an alert has been sounded in Jhalda,
Bandwan, Jajpur and Barabazar areas of Purulia, official
sources said. According to official sources, police patrolling
has also been intensified in Belpahari, Jamboni, Lalgarh,
Goaltor, Garbeta, Nayagram and Gopiballbhpur police station
areas in West Midnapur. Besides, paramilitary personnel
are also keeping an eye in and around the forests areas
of Belpahari and Lalgarh for untoward rebel movement. Special
security measures have been put in place at four police
stations areas of Ranibandh, Raipur, Simlapal and Khatra
in South Bankura. In South Bankura where there is no rail
network, bus transport is likely to be affected. Earlier,
the states of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh had observed
a day long shutdown on January 7 to protest the Kalinga
Nagar tribal killings.
The protest call was given by the Kalinga Nagar Surakhya
Samiti, which had been supported by seven Opposition parties
including the Congress and the Left. The Opposition had
given a call to paralyze the State to protest the firing
and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The parties supporting the stir were CPI, CPI (M), Orissa
Gana Parishad, Janata Dal (Secular) and Samajwadi Party.
JMM leader Shibu Soren had then described the police firing
as inhuman and had demanded that the District Collector,
the Superintendent of Police and other senior officials
be booked under section 302 of the Indian Penal Court and
that a criminal case against the Chief Minister be initiated
under section 120 of IPC. Soren said the entire incident
seemed to be a pre-planned by the district administration
at the behest of Patnaik to teach a lesson to the tribals
for raising their genuine demand on rehabilitation and more
compensation for their land acquired by the government for
setting up of steel plants. There was hectic activity in
the state secretariat on January 6 as the Government increased
the ex-gratia to be paid to the next of kin of the victims
of police firing from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. This was matched
by the Central Government when Congress president and UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited Kalinga Nagar to express
her sentiments and solidarity with the families of the dead
of the Kalinga Nagar tribal killings
last week. Patnaik also directed that a person from each
affected family be provided a job in the Government or in
a public sector undertaking and the injured persons should
get an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000.
Later,
the Orissa Government transferred the Jaipur District Collector
Saswat Mishra and Superintendent of Police (SP) Binoytosh
Mishra, who came under fire following the incident with
the opposition parties as well as ruling BJP, demanded their
removal from the district. A total of 13 people, a policeman
and 12 civilians, were killed when tribals, opposing the
proposed setting up of a steel plant at Kalinganagar industrial
hub, had clashed with the police. About 25 people, including
four policemen, were also wounded in the clash. The police
had been assigned to protect local officials who were demarcating
the land for the proposed steel plant. According to the
police, authorities had offered compensation to the tribes
living on the land but they had rejected it. The land in
Jajpur had been acquired by the Government and was to be
given to India's largest private steel producer, TATA Steel
Ltd. Foreign and Indian private steel companies are setting
up huge steel mills in the mineral-rich states of Orissa,
Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, but villagers in these areas
complain they are not adequately compensated for their land.
Kalinga Nagar policeman attempts suicide
Kalinga
Nagar (Orissa): An Assistant Sub-Inspector of Kalinga
Nagar police station in Orissa's Jajpur district today made
an abortive attempt to commit suicide inside the police
station here. He made the attempt after collecting the post-mortem
reports of the 12 tribals killed in police firing in Jajpur
district. Narayan Chandra Samal, who works as an assistant
sub-inspector of police at Kalinga Nagar police station,
had gone to Cuttack town to collect the reports. Police
said Samal shot himself with his service revolver. "He returned
to the police station around 7 pm on Sunday. Then he brought
out his service revolver and shot himself in the neck inside
the police station," said Rabindra Padhi, DIG, Central Range.
The police however, ruled out any link with the Kalinga
Nagar firing to Samal's suicide attempt. "The case is being
investigated and we will try to find out the actual cause
of the suicide," said Padhi. Samal was rushed to the Dhangadi
Hospital and then shifted to Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical
College and is stated to be in a critical condition. The
reason for the attempt has not yet been ascertained. "He
had head injuries. But the patient is conscious and improving.
At this stage we cannot say the cause for his suicide attempt,"
said Suresh Chandra, HOD, Neurosurgery Department SCB Medical
College. Apparently Samal was under tremendous mental pressure
since the
Kalinga Nagar tribal killings.
At least 12 tribals were killed on January 2, when police
opened fire on about 500 protestors at the Kalinga Nagar
industrial complex in Jajpur district. The tribals were
protesting against constructions by the Tata Steel Company.
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