annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Orissa
to release Justice P K Misra Commission
of Inquiry Report into the killing of three
Adivasis in police firing on 16 December
2000 at Kashipur. The commission had
submitted its report to the government on
17 January 2003. 37
The indigenous peoples living in
Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary in
Mayurbhanj district have been facing the
threat of forcible eviction from the
sanctuary forests. On 1 August 2004, a
clash broke out between the indigenous
villagers of Joranda village in Mayurbhanj
district and the forest officials who had
gone there to destroy the paddy crops
cultivated by indigenous peoples. 38
On 3 December 2004, hundreds of
indigenous men and women launched a
demonstration outside the Orissa
Assembly demanding their right to the
forestland and the allotment of pattas for
the land under their occupation in the
forest-covered areas of the state. The
indigenous peoples accused the State
government of launching the eviction
drive without conducting a proper survey
to distinguish genuine occupants of
forestland from the encroachers. 39
Indigenous peoples also remain
disproportionate victims of starvation
deaths. Between 11 June 2004 and 1 July
2004, 10 (ten) tribal children, aged 2 to 5
years, allegedly died of malnutrition at
Dongiriguda village under Jharigaon block
of Nawrangpur district. The victims had
also been suffering from diarrhoea and
fever but had no access to medical
facilities. The nearest community health
194
centre at Jharigaon was 30 km away.
However, Nawrangpur District Collector,
Arabinda Kumar denied that the deaths
were due to starvation. 40
On 23 October 2004, one Nupura
Majhi of Mahagaon village under
Sinapalli block of Nuapada district
reportedly died due to starvation. 41
Taking advantage of poverty,
indigenous women have been sexually
exploited by non-tribals. Thousands of
girls between 12-25 years of age are
reportedly giving birth to illegitimate kids.
According to reports, there are more than
4,000 unwed mothers in different parts of
rural Orissa, most of whom are destitute.
While some have become scavengers,
others have ended up in mental asylums.
All the unwed tribal mothers have the
same story. 42
In January 2004, an 8-year-old tribal
girl of Cuttack was found in a precarious
condition by the Officer-in-Charge of
Jagatpur police station. She was allegedly
raped and subjected to inhuman torture by
one Susant Naik who was later arrested by
the police. On the direction of the Orissa
State Human Rights Commission, the state
government reportedly paid Rs 25,000 as
compensation to the victim. 43
VI. Atrocities by the armed
opposition groups
Though the People’s War Group and
the State government of Orissa expressed
the desire to sit for dialogue, no dialogue
could be held by 2004. While PWG
insisted on declaration of cease-fire, the