Indigenous people roar on Malkangiri streets, submit memorandum for President of India

Thousands of indigenous people of Malkangiri district held a rally in the district headquarters on the occasion of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples and submitted a memorandum with the sub-collector addressed to the President of India.

Drawing attention of the President, they wrote, “The indigenous communities have been continuously facing a large number of problems in an atmosphere of panic, fear, and agony created in the tribal and other areas across the country. There are many burning issues which are tormenting the original inhabitants of almost each and every community throughout the country.”

Their demands included, curbing atrocities committed on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, shielding tribal culture and heritage from interference & outside influence, withdrawal/repeal of the forest conservation bill -2023, no enactment of Uniform Civil Code on personal law, and enforcement of the PESA Act in the Scheduled areas, among others.

However, the protestors were infuriated after the sub-collector turned up to collect the memorandum instead of the Collector. The tribals intensified their protest and demanded the Collector to come to them as soon as possible.

No district administration officials were available for comments in this connection.