August 29, 2008
Kalinga Nagar firing victims families accept ex gratia
SNS reported that the families of 9 of the Kalinga Nagar police firing victims have accepted the ex gratia money offered as compensation. With this 12 of the 14 families of victims of Kalinga Nagar police firing accepted the ex gratia money of INR 1 million announced by both the central and the state governments. The Visthapan Virodhi Janmanch, a forum of the tribals fighting against displacement and industrialization in the area, was opposed the government compensation offer. The acceptance of compensation was, therefore, in defiance of the Visthapan Virodhi Janmanch stand.
Earlier, the families of the firing victims were firm in their decision not to accept the ex gratia money from the district administration till the government announced a complete stop of industrial activity and displacement in the industrial complex area. But due to initiative of the new Jajpur district collector Mr Dhiren Kumar Das who assumed his post a couple of days ago the impasse broke. Mr Das observed that the acceptance of the ex gratia money by the families was a positive sign. He informed that the remaining two families could not receive the ex gratia money due to technical reasons. They would be paid the money soon.
The Janmanch, however, made it clear that it would continue its agitation against TATA Steel project as usual. Mr Rabindra Jarika general secretary of Janmanch said that "We have been agitating for our lives and livelihood, and our opposition to TATA Steel project in Kalinga Nagar will continue until our demands are fulfilled. We received government compensation for the loss of the lives of our fellowmen who were killed while opposing the steel project. TATA Steel has nothing to do with it. Besides, receiving ex-gratia money will have no impact on our ongoing agitation."
It may be noted that 14 tribal men and women, including a high school student, were killed in police firing on January 2nd 2006 while protesting against construction of boundary wall for the proposed 6 million tonne steel project of the TATA steel in the Kalinga Nagar steel hub.
