People's Democracy

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has expressed shock to note that the Orissa government has taken such brutal police action against their own tribal people that left 12 innocent poor villagers killed and hundreds injured.

In a statement released on January 4, 2006 it stated that in its bid to go for industrialisation, the Orissa state government has acquired the only available flat cultivable land from the tribals and left them without any alternative employment.

"It is shocking that the tribals were paid at the rate of Rs 22,000 per acre land by IDCO and it was sold to the TATA’s at Rs 3 lakh per acre. Depriving the poor tribals is the standard practice by the Orissa state government. More shocking is that local BJD leaders have formed an outfit named BIJUSENA who have been provoking the local tribals with threat of violence if anyone opposed the process of industrialisation. It is not difficult to understand who financed the so-called BIJUSENA", the CITU stated.

The CITU supported the statewide strike call given by various trade unions including CITU, INTUC, AITUC and other unions to be held on January 7. It hoped that the BMS union would also join the strike in the interest of the poor tribals. (INN)