An urgent appeal to the the Chief Minister of Odisha from concerned citizens and organisations to take immediate steps to curb state violence on adivasis and dalits of Raygada and Kalahandi opposing Vedanta’s bauxite mining project.
Groundxero | April 7, 2024
Even as Adivasi and Dalit communities in Odisha’s Sijimali region continue to resist the forcible entry of police and company officials for mining operations, the state has responded not with dialogue but with severe repression. There are reports of midnight raids, mass arrests, drone surveillance, and police violence – all of which point to an intensifying crackdown on villagers aimed at breaking a sustained people’s movement against the bauxite project of Vedanta Limited in Kashipur block of Raygada district.
Despite repeated assertions of democratic dissent—through Gram Sabhas, public hearings, and petitions—the voices of the local communities have been met with more militarisation in a constitutionally protected Fifth Schedule area.
In this context, the concerned citizens and organisations, including social, cultural and political activists, writers, academics, advocates, and human rights organizations and trade unions, have addressed an open letter to Mohan Majhi, the Chief Minister of Odisha, demanding an immediate halt to state repression on the villagers of Kashipur and Thuamul Rampur blocks, and targeting leaders of Ma Mati Mali Surakhya Mancha.
The signatories to the open letter urge the Chief Minister to immediately revoke the prohibitory orders issued by the Rayagada SDM under Section 163 of the BNSS; Revoke the proposed mining lease in Sijimali and ensure the protection of the jal, jangal and jameen of the Adivasis of the region; ensure that the proposed approach road to the mining area is stopped immediately; withdraw the entire police force in the area and immediately stop all drone surveillance; withdraw all criminal cases foisted on villagers who are opposed to bauxite mining, among other things.
The open letter along with the list of signatories is published below:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF MINISTER OF ODISHA BY CONCERNED CITIZENS FORUM
TO STOP STATE REPRESSION IN SIJIMALI
BHUBANESWAR
APRIL 7, 2026
To
Sri Mohan Majhi,
The Chief Minister of Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Subject: Urgent Appeal to Take Immediate Steps To Curb State Violence on Adivasis and Dalits of Raygada and Kalahandi
Dear Sir,
As concerned citizens, we express our collective condemnation of the brutal violence unleashed on the villagers of Kantamal in Kashipur block of Raygada district from late night to the wee hours this morning. Both the police and senior district officials were present.
We are deeply concerned that in a democracy, Adivasis and Dalits opposed to the mining operations of Vedanta Limited and its contract company Maithri, have been subject to ceaseless violence and arbitrary arrests since mid-2023. Now, to begin construction work, the violence has escalated targeting the leaders of Ma Mati Mali Surakhya Mancha, the people’s local forum. It is to be noted that people have adopted all democratic means to protect their land, livelihood, water and air while also holding on to their cultural heritage and the abode of Tij Raja their scared deity. This entire area is protected under the Fifth Schedule Area of the Indian Constitution.
In order to reject the proposed mining project, Ma Mati Mali Surakhya Mancha has appealed to all authorities from the local administration to the state government and from the concerned union ministers to the President of India. They have asserted their objections against mining in testimonies in the public hearings of the Odisha Pollution Control Board. In the same way, as per the FRA provisions, villagers organised Gram Sabhas in which they have clearly and unanimously rejected the mining project and the required forest clearance to protect their lives, livelihood and cultural identity. However, in this Scheduled Area, the state administration has resorted to repression to push through Vedanta Limited’s mining project.
As a result, hundreds of criminal cases have been foisted on the people and almost a hundred of them have undergone incarceration and many still continue to languish in jail.
Repression on the people has escalated sharply in the last few months. We urge your attention to a few incidents:
- On the night of March 10, after a local village conflict, hundreds of police descended on Talaampadar village in the middle of the night and picked up 21 adivasis, including 10 women. They raided houses and damaged people’s houses and belongings. Among the women, there is a nineteen-year old who is pregnant and some with small children at home. They are now languishing in District Jail of Bhawanipatna of Kalahandi district. On 25 March, Lingaraj Azad and Suresh Sangram of Samajwadi Jan Parishad were arrested and are today in Raygada Jail.
- The actions of the police and administration instead of being in accordance with the law, clearly seems to be aiding the company. On February 26, 27 and 28, around 200 police and paramilitary forces caused much terror and intimidation under the cover of executing arrest warrants issued by the SDM Rayagada and JMFC Kashipur on the walls of some members of “Ma Mati Mali Surakhya Mancha”.
- Sagabari, Bantej, Bondel, Kantamal and Talaampadar are witnessing a massive presence of armed police and vehicles, drones flying on the area, and police on the lookout for leaders. Drones are followed by 18 to 25 vehicles and marches of armed police through the area along with private persons.
- Adivasi peasants and wage workers are losing out on earnings and cultivation work. They can no longer go out to the forest and river for nature’s call or other daily chores because of the surveillance done by drones flying overhead as it violates their privacy. People are now carrying water to their houses to do the daily chores. They can neither buy medicines nor go to shops to buy essentials from sheer intimidation.
- On 3rd April, the police and administration announced prohibitory orders from loud speakers. People were prohibited from assembling in more than four within 100 meters of the approach road being constructed to the mining area. As construction work began with a massive presence of police force, villagers stood ground and refused them entry from April 4 to 6.
- After three days of peaceful disobedience of prohibitory orders, the police resorted to violence by entering Kantamal village at midnight of April 7. They fired tear gas shells. They killed a cow. People came rushing out; many were injured by police lathis. Two women have sustained head injuries. People are unable to seek medical assistance.
Sir, as local Adivasi and Dalit communities continue to live under a climate of terror and constant fear, we urge you to take the following steps without delay:
- Revoke the prohibitory orders issued by the Rayagada SDM under Section 163 of the BNSS.
- Revoke the proposed mining lease in Sijimali and ensure the protection of the jal, jangal and jameen of the Adivasis of the region.
- Ensure that the proposed approach road to the mining area is stopped immediately.
- Withdraw the entire police force in the area and immediately stop all drone surveillance.
- Withdraw all criminal cases foisted on villagers who are opposed to bauxite mining.
- Ensure the immediate release of all those in prison.
- Implement properly the PESA and FRA in Fifth Schedule areas.
We urge you, in your capacity as Chief Minister and Chairperson of the Tribal Advisory Council, to intervene urgently and ensure that all necessary steps are taken to protect and uphold the constitutional and democratic rights of the people of this region.
Thanking you,
On behalf of Concerned Citizens Forum, Odisha
- Ananta Lokmukti Sangathan, Jharsuguda
- Asutosh Parida, Poet, Bhubaneswar
- Archana Rath, Analyst
- Akankshya Mahapatra, Writer and Researcher
- Balabhadra Mallick, Chasi Mali Surakhya Samiti, Kandhamal
- Bibhrant Biswajit, Mulnivasi Student & Youth Front (MSYF)
- Bichitra, TUCI
- Biswapriya Kanungo, Advocate
- British Kumar, Khandualamali Sthai Surakhya Samiti, Kalahandi
- Damodar Behera, Dalit Adhikar Andolan, Kalahandi
- Dandapani Mohanty, Political Activist
- Deba Prasad Rai, Lohia Academy
- Debaranjan, Gantantrik Adhikar Surakhya Sangatha, Bhubaneswar
- Debati Behera, AICCTU
- Dr Bijay Bohidar, Retd Professor, Bhubaneswar
- Dr Birendra Nayak, Retd Professor, Bhubaneswar
- Dr Biswajit, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Odisha
- Dr Randall Sequeira, Bhawanipatna
- Dr Sumitra Patel, Retd Professor, Bhubaneswar
- Dr Swadhin Pattnaik, Retd Professor, Bhubaneswar
- Drinju Krusika, Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti
- Gaurang Mahapatra, CFSHR
- Golak Nath, Gantantrik Adhikar Surakhya Sangathan, Bhubaneswar
- Hena Rani, Akhil Bharatiya Krantikari Mahila Sangathan
- Jameswar Samantaray, Odisha Krushak Sabha
- Jayant Das, AITUC, Odisha
- Lada Sikaka, Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti
- Lenin Kumar, Poet and Political Activist
- Lingaraj Pradhan, Jai Kisan Andolan, Bargarh
- Mahindra Parida, AICCTU
- Manoranjan Swain, Social Worker
- Narendra Mohanty, Campaign against Fabricated Cases, Bhubaneswar
- Nigamanand Sadangi, Author and Activist
- Pradeepta Nayak, Human Rights Activist
- Pradyumna Behera
- Prafulla Samantara, Lok Shakti Abhiyan
- Prakash Kumar Samantasinghar, RTI Activist
- Pramila, Prashant Paikrai, Jindal-POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti
- Pramodini Pradhan, PUCL, Odisha
- Pranab Jena, CPDRS
- Pratap Chandra Pradhan, IFTU, Odisha
- Pratap Nayak, AIKMS, Odisha
- Radhakanta Sethi, AIPF, Bhubaneswar
- Rajkishore Sunani, Samjwadi Jan Parishad, Kalahandi
- Ranjana Padhi, Author and Feminist
- Rumita Kundu, Social Activist
- Sanghamitra Jena, AISF, Odisha
- Sarat Baral, AICCTU, Khordha
- Saroj Mohanty, Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samnvya Samiti
- Shankar, AIKKS
- Sharanya Nayak, Solidarity Worker
- Sidhartha, Activist and Designer
- Sonia Chand, Film Maker
- Srikant Mohanty, Chaasi Mulya Sangha, Odisha, AIKMKS
- Srimanta Mohanty, Political Activist
- Sudhir Pattnaik, Media Person
- Sushree Rajlaxmi, Student
- Swati Azad, Activist, Bhubaneswar
- Tuna Mallick, Adivasi Bharat Mahasabha
- Venkatesh M, Paralegal Worker, Bhubaneswar
Contact Email ID: ccfodisha@proton.me