By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Thousands of tribals Thursday staged a demonstration in Orissa’s Bolangir town demanding action against people usurping government jobs and benefits meant for tribal people by submitting fake caste certificates.
The tribals from 10 western districts converged at Bolangir town, 327 km from here, and staged a demonstration for hours under the banner of Zilla Adivasi Sangha (a tribal organisation), a senior district police official told IANS.
Armed with traditional weapons like axe and bow and arrow, the forest dwellers danced to the tune of their traditional music, waved banners and shouted slogans against the government for not addressing their problems.
They alleged that thousands of non-tribals are occupying government posts and enjoying benefits meant for tribals.
“We want immediate identification of such people and their dismissal. If the government does not take steps, we would be forced to launch an agitation �which would not be peaceful,” tribal leader Niranjan Bisi told IANS.
Bisi alleged that the state government is not strictly implementing the Forest Rights Act which would have enabled the tribals to stay secure in the forests where they have been living for generations.
The land-related disputes and the issue of fake caste certificates were cited as few of the issues that led to the communal conflicts two years ago in the district of Kandhamal in which 38 people were killed.
The disputes have also subsequently triggered violence in several other tribal populated districts.