'Privileges' to settlers trigger tribals-police clash

By Our Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR, OCT. 31. Three tribals were killed and 20 persons, including eight police personnel, injured in a clash between tribals and policemen at Rangabhatti village in Raighar block of Orissa's Nawrangpur district on Tuesday evening.

According to the Director-General of Police, Mr. N.C. Padhi, the jawans belonging to the Orissa State Armed Police opened fire when they failed to pacify the armed tribals who threatened to cut the crops grown by Bengali settlers in the area and set their houses on fire.

The resentment among the tribals has been growing since long as they felt that the settlers, who had been given land in the area by the Government in the Seventies, had occupied their own land. The settlers economic prosperity is said to be another reason.

The injured have been admitted to the Koraput hospital. One of the injured policeman lost one of his eyes when he was hit by an arrow. As many as eight platoons of armed police have been deployed in the area. The police have also arrested two non- tribals - Mr. Sunadhar Bisoi and Mr. Vikash Srivastav - on charges of instigating the tribals to attack the settlers.

Meanwhile, the State Revenue Minister, Mr. Biswabhushan Harichandan, visited Rangabhatti village today to take stock of the situation.

In another incident, a jawan belonging to the 6th battalion of the Orissa State Armed Police was gunned down by members of the People's War Group in Maliguda block of Orissa's Malkangiri district on Tuesday.

The slain policeman, identified as Bhakta Charan Kalu, was shot when he along with another jawan had gone to a nearby pond. The jawans were posted at the Maliguda Anti-Naxal Police Post, which had been attacked by Naxalites in 1998.

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Section  : Other States
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