Bengal, Jharkhand shutdown over Kalinga killings

    Purulia (West Bengal): A red alert has been sounded in the border areas of West Bengal and Jharkhand after a 24-hour shutdown call was given by the Communist Party of India (CPI) - Maoists this morning. The shutdown is being observed to protest the killing of 12 tribals in police firing in Kalinga Nagar on January 2. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has also extended support to the shutdown. Police patrolling has been intensified in the three South Bengal districts of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapur, while an alert has been sounded in Jhalda, Bandwan, Jajpur and Barabazar areas of Purulia, official sources said. According to official sources, police patrolling has also been intensified in Belpahari, Jamboni, Lalgarh, Goaltor, Garbeta, Nayagram and Gopiballbhpur police station areas in West Midnapur. Besides, paramilitary personnel are also keeping an eye in and around the forests areas of Belpahari and Lalgarh for untoward rebel movement. Special security measures have been put in place at four police stations areas of Ranibandh, Raipur, Simlapal and Khatra in South Bankura. In South Bankura where there is no rail network, bus transport is likely to be affected. Earlier, the states of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh had observed a day long shutdown on January 7 to protest the Kalinga Nagar tribal killings.

    The protest call was given by the Kalinga Nagar Surakhya Samiti, which had been supported by seven Opposition parties including the Congress and the Left. The Opposition had given a call to paralyze the State to protest the firing and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The parties supporting the stir were CPI, CPI (M), Orissa Gana Parishad, Janata Dal (Secular) and Samajwadi Party. JMM leader Shibu Soren had then described the police firing as inhuman and had demanded that the District Collector, the Superintendent of Police and other senior officials be booked under section 302 of the Indian Penal Court and that a criminal case against the Chief Minister be initiated under section 120 of IPC. Soren said the entire incident seemed to be a pre-planned by the district administration at the behest of Patnaik to teach a lesson to the tribals for raising their genuine demand on rehabilitation and more compensation for their land acquired by the government for setting up of steel plants. There was hectic activity in the state secretariat on January 6 as the Government increased the ex-gratia to be paid to the next of kin of the victims of police firing from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. This was matched by the Central Government when Congress president and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited Kalinga Nagar to express her sentiments and solidarity with the families of the dead of the Kalinga Nagar tribal killings last week. Patnaik also directed that a person from each affected family be provided a job in the Government or in a public sector undertaking and the injured persons should get an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000.

   Later, the Orissa Government transferred the Jaipur District Collector Saswat Mishra and Superintendent of Police (SP) Binoytosh Mishra, who came under fire following the incident with the opposition parties as well as ruling BJP, demanded their removal from the district. A total of 13 people, a policeman and 12 civilians, were killed when tribals, opposing the proposed setting up of a steel plant at Kalinganagar industrial hub, had clashed with the police. About 25 people, including four policemen, were also wounded in the clash. The police had been assigned to protect local officials who were demarcating the land for the proposed steel plant. According to the police, authorities had offered compensation to the tribes living on the land but they had rejected it. The land in Jajpur had been acquired by the Government and was to be given to India's largest private steel producer, TATA Steel Ltd. Foreign and Indian private steel companies are setting up huge steel mills in the mineral-rich states of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, but villagers in these areas complain they are not adequately compensated for their land.

Kalinga Nagar policeman attempts suicide

     Kalinga Nagar (Orissa): An Assistant Sub-Inspector of Kalinga Nagar police station in Orissa's Jajpur district today made an abortive attempt to commit suicide inside the police station here. He made the attempt after collecting the post-mortem reports of the 12 tribals killed in police firing in Jajpur district. Narayan Chandra Samal, who works as an assistant sub-inspector of police at Kalinga Nagar police station, had gone to Cuttack town to collect the reports. Police said Samal shot himself with his service revolver. "He returned to the police station around 7 pm on Sunday. Then he brought out his service revolver and shot himself in the neck inside the police station," said Rabindra Padhi, DIG, Central Range. The police however, ruled out any link with the Kalinga Nagar firing to Samal's suicide attempt. "The case is being investigated and we will try to find out the actual cause of the suicide," said Padhi. Samal was rushed to the Dhangadi Hospital and then shifted to Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and is stated to be in a critical condition. The reason for the attempt has not yet been ascertained. "He had head injuries. But the patient is conscious and improving. At this stage we cannot say the cause for his suicide attempt," said Suresh Chandra, HOD, Neurosurgery Department SCB Medical College. Apparently Samal was under tremendous mental pressure since the Kalinga Nagar tribal killings. At least 12 tribals were killed on January 2, when police opened fire on about 500 protestors at the Kalinga Nagar industrial complex in Jajpur district. The tribals were protesting against constructions by the Tata Steel Company.

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