By Fact Finding Team
11 March, 2013
A national-level
fact-finding team consisting of civil liberties and democratic
organisations and individuals visited Govindapur and Dhinkia villages of
Jagatsinghpur District on the 9th of March, 2013. The objective of the
visit was to assess the situation in the wake of escalated violence
since the land acquisition process resumed in the area on the 4th of
February 2013. The stationing of armed police platoons in the proposed
POSCO project affected areas and finally the recent incident of the bomb
explosion that left three killed and had one person severely injured
prompted us to visit the area and share our findings with a larger
audience and appeal to the Odisha government and local administration.
During the visit, the team had a detailed discussion with the POSCO
Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) leader Abhay Sahu and other members, the
personnel of Orissa State Armed Police and the State Police stationed
at Gobindapur, leader of Gobindpur pro POSCO group Ranjan Bardhan, dalit
landless labourers, a group of people in Nuagaon led by Tamil Pradhan
(husband of the Sarpanch) and the local youth. The following day, on the
10th of March 2013, the team also visited Laxman Pramanik in the SCB
Medical College Hospital, Cuttack. We informed the District Collector
and Superintendent of Police about our visit and sought an appointment
but they told us that they were out of the district and thus not
available to meet us.
The incident of March 2nd, 2013:
Discussions with members of the PPSS and families of
the deceased clearly indicate that the four people namely Nabin Mandal
(30), Narahari Sahu (52), Manas Jena (32) and Lakhman Parmanik (46) were
sitting at their usual meeting place after leaving a nearby betel vine
in Patana village. A powerful blast occurred that killed three people
and left Lakhman Parmanik severely injured. Another person named Ramesh
Raut had left the spot just a minute before to buy a paan.
Within hours of the incident SP Jagatsinghpur Sri
Satyabrata Bhoi announced through the local and national media that the
blast occurred while the deceased were making a bomb, even before any
police personnel had visited the site or done any investigation.
According to Lakhman Parmanik in the hospital, bomb/s was/were thrown at
them. He strongly refuted the accusation by the police that they were
making bombs, adding “What gain will I make by lying when I am on the
verge of death.” It was reported to be a powerful blast as its impact
was felt and heard by most of the villagers as they recalled in
discussions with the team. None of the police personnel reached the spot
until nearly 15 hours after the incident. This is clear dereliction of
duty given the fact that two platoons are stationed within a distance of
a few minutes from the area. Even before the police came and took
charge of the dead bodies, land acquisition started on the morning of
3rd of March 2013.
The Role of the Police:
One, the police neither reached the area nor sent
any help for taking Laxman Parmanik immediately to the hospital, despite
PPSS informing the police immediately after the incident. Secondly, the
police arrived only on the morning of 3rd of March at the scene of the
incident and took charge of the dead bodies. Thirdly, families of the
two deceased shared that the police arrived on the midnight of the 3rd
of March, and asked them to sign a written statement stating that the
victims died in the process of making the bomb which they refused to do.
Fourth, when Kusumbati Sahu, sister-in-law of the deceased Narahari
Sahu went to register an FIR at the thana of Abhoychandranpur on the
evening of 3rd of March, the police refused to accept the FIR, scolded
her that she has been sent by Abhay Sahu although they themselves were
making the bomb and had come to lodge an FIR. She had to leave without
registering the FIR. However it should be noted that the only FIR that
was accepted by the Abhaychandranpur thana on 4th of March was lodged by
Ranjan Bardhan against the 3 deceased, the injured Lakhman Pramanik,
Abhay Sahu, Surendra Das and five others of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram
Samiti.
Our observations of the Current Situation:
Following the March 2nd bomb blast the already
existing tension in the villages have been greatly escalated. The
villagers are unable to move freely and are in constant fear of
harassment and arrest by the police. Since 4th February when the land
acquisition process was resumed accompanied by a severe police
lathicharge on the villagers, outbreaks of violence have become more
frequent. In Govindpur village, 2 platoons of police have been deployed,
which has greatly contributed to the escalated tension in the villages.
At least 105 betel vines have been destroyed in Govindpur village in
the process of land acquisition. There was a lathicharge on 7th March on
villagers demanding the removal of the police camp, in which 41
villagers including 35 women and children were injured.
This situation has also gravely affected the lives
and livelihoods of the villagers. The situation of dalit landless
labourers is very grave. Over 150 families depend on betel vines located
on approximately 1 acre of land. They are keen and clear that the plant
is most undesirable since it is the only source of livelihood. Two
persons shared how they have got no compensation after sale of land.
Most others said how there are no provisions for compensations for the
landless in the acquisition process. In fact, Laxman Pramanik, who has
been gravely injured in the bomb blast is also a landless labourer, the
sole breadwinner of a family of eight persons, depending on the same. In
short, the livelihood activities and mobility of the entire community
is under threat. Any access to health care or medical treatment, however
critical, is difficult to obtain as most of the community is under
threat of arrest.
Demands:
In view of our discussions with all the affected
persons, and the clear attempt of the police to blame the deceased
persons in a premeditated manner, we demand
1. A high level judicial enquiry into the bomb blast
incident resulting in the death of three persons and injury to one
person, to ascertain the truth of the matter.
2. The immediate withdrawal of the police camp from Gobindpur village as it is contributing to escalating tensions in the area.
3. The cessation of the land acquisition process forthwith in the Dhinkia panchayat area including Gobindpur village.
4. Compensation on humanitarian grounds to the
families of the deceased who were killed in the bomb blast and proper
medical help for the injured person.
Team Consisted of:
Meher Engineer, Former Director, Bose Institute, Kolkata
Sumit Chakravartty, Editor, Mainstream Weekly, Delhi
Dr Manoranjan Mohanty, Retd Professor, Delhi University
Pramodini Pradhan, PUCL Odisha
Saroj Mohanty, PUCL, Odisha
Ranjana Padhi, PUDR, Delhi
Dr Kamal Chaubey, PUDR, Delhi
Sanjeev Kumar, Delhi Forum, Delhi
Mathew Jacob, HRLN, Delhi
Samantha, Sanhati
Partho Roy, Sanhati
Gyan Ranjan Swain, Ravenshaw University
Contact Email Id: sanjeev@delhiforum.net :
