Fact Finding Team of PUCL , Odisha Condems Brutal Attacks by Police on the Villagers of Dhinkia
While the Odisha State administration was continuously warning people to stay indoors to remain safe from the impending cyclonic storm , the Jagatsinghpur district police entered the village Dhinkia under Erasama Block to arrest some people around 4.30 am on 4 th December , 2021 . People resisted the police attack and a bloody fight ensued . The media reported the incident next day .
According to villagers of Dhinkia , the allegations of hurling of bomb and snatching away of pistol are stories concocted by the police and it is a conspiracy to suppress the anti-Jindal voices of the people . According to the statement of SP some 11 policemen have been injured by the people and police have not even slapped anyone . But the team saw in its own eyes that bandages have still been wrapped around the wrist of right hand of Santi Das , an elderly woman , of Dhinkia .
After this incident , nearly 500 people belonging not only to Dhinkia but to Mahal , Patana and Govindpur held a protest demonstration despite rains in the morning . On the other hand , in the two FIRs filed by the police Dhinkia villagers have been booked under various sections of IPC .
After the incident police have been deployed at three entry points ( Trilochanpur , Patana and Mahala ) to the village . Villagers are being asked to show their Aadhar Card at these entry points when going outside of the village . They are not being able to go to their fields and betel vines . They are under siege in their own village . They apprehend that at each police picket the police have kept a list of names of the people to be arrested and they are checking accordingly . When villagers of Dhinkia are living under such condition , people of neighboring villages are also being harassed and humiliated by the police . One such incident happened while the
January - 2022 team was there in the village Govindpur . A fellow villager was complaining before Pravat Rout that police pulled his collar . In short , heavy police presence and checking in the area has created an atmosphere of fear and terror .
The Developments in the Area Leading to the Incident
The way the Public Hearing for JSW integrated steel plant was conducted by Odisha Pollution Control Board with heavy police arrangement and people outside of the project affected area were given preference than the local ones to participate and express their views , created an atmosphere of resentment against the district administration .
During the time of first wave of Covid-19 and cyclonic storm ‘ Amphan ’, local people , especially betel-vine cultivators , suffered heavy economic loss . While the district administration remained indifferent to it , anonymous application forms were circulated in the area purportedly asking people to intimate to the government that they were interested to hand over their land and betel-vines to the company . People felt that without helping them the district administration and company were taking advantage of their distressed economic situation . This intensified their resentment and doubt .
In August , 2021 the arrest of Tuna Baral , a known anti-project face in the area , on the charge of stopping company vehicle . and issue of show cause notice to Debendra Swain for removal from the post of Samiti Member caused more doubt towards the administration . Debendra Swain has been removed from the post on 8th December .
On 18 th August , the Tehsildar , Erasama issued a notice to the people of Govindpur and Dhinkia with regard to acquisition of land – 793.97 and 746.76 acres of land respectively . It was also mentioned in the notice that the land will be transferred to IIDCO for setting up industry ( without naming any project ) and people could file their objections with a court fee of Rs . 20 / - and relevant documents within 30 days from the date of issue of the notice . But the notice was fixed at the Panchayat Office on 15 th September for public knowledge . That means people were practically given only two days to respond to it . People of Dhinkia exposed this deceit and submitted their written objection to the concerned authority . So did the people of Govindpur .
In this atmosphere of distrust and doubt , the district administration organized public hearings in the month of November to listen to the grievances of the people against the proposed JSW project . The hearings were held at the headquarters of all three affected Panchayats and in Govindpur – a constituent village of Dhinkia Panchayat . In the perception of people it was to be a dialogue and discussion between local people and administration . But when they saw that shamianas and food arrangements for the hearings were being made by the company and company officials were present on the stage and being allowed to speak then they felt that it was more of an exercise in garnering support in favour of the company . Still , people participated in the hearings and objected to the presence of company officials . Especially in Dhinkia hearing people did not allow the company officials to speak and categorically spoke against the project . People put forward many demands and raised issues like environment pollution , security of livelihood , to give patta to landless people , forest rights and withdrawal of false cases slapped on them at the time of anti-POSCO movement .
The most important issue is that while there is no environment clearance has been granted for the project till date , yet the administration
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