People's Democracy

CPI(M)’s Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury visited Kalinga Nagar on January 8, 2006 to pay homage to the tribal martyrs killed by the BJD-BJP coalition government and also to express solidarity with the fighting tribals and console the bereaved families. He also visited the SCB Medical College Hospital where the injured persons are undergoing treatment.

On being informed by the journalists at the press conference he addressed at Bhubanswar in the evening that the BJD leadership termed the visit of central leaders of various parties to Kalinga Nagar as politically motivated, Yechury responded that his visit was not meant to earn political milage but was purely a humanitarian one. Since the chief minister lacks humanitarian feeling he sees politics in such visit, he retorted.

He condemned the murder of innocent tribals and was surprised to find no negotiations had begun with the agitating tribals and asked the government to come forward for such negotiation. Confronted with the question that while the opposition in Orissa has demanded the resignation of the chief minister as to why he asks the government to negotiate with tribals, Yechury replied that the chief minister as the head of the government should step down as part of his moral responsibility, but the government being a permanent mechanism should negotiate.

He advised the government to take the people into confidence while preparing any rehabilitation package and to suspend the process of tribal land acquisition till the Tribals Land Use bill is enacted. He explained that the UPA government has tabled such a bill under pressure from the Left, which is demanding more amendments to the bill in the interest of the tribals.

His last word was against the export of mineral resources to make its use sustainable since minerals are not renewable.

While visiting Kalinga Nagar, Sitaram Yechury was accompanied by Janardan Pati, the state secretary of the Party, Santosh Das, secretariat member, Puspa Dash, Abhiram Behera, Prafulla Nayak, Ganesh Sahoo and Niramal Rath.