Odisha No 2 in industrial riots in 2018, shows NCRB report!

Bhubaneswar: No good news for Odisha. The State keeps figuring among top states having high industrial riots since 2014. Odisha had registered 75 industrial riots in 2018, next only to Tamil Nadu.

In fact, Odisha had topped the country in 2015 and 2017. The State could have again topped in 2018, but for the riot and police firing at Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) in Tamil Nadu over Sterlite Plant in May 2018.

As per the NCRB 2018 report, Odisha witnessed 75 industrial riots vis-a-vis 208 in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu topping the chart in 2018 is like a flash in the pan. Because, data since 2014 reveals that industrial riots in the TN remained below double digits.

In contrast,  the numbers for Odisha stood at 70 in 2015, 37 in 2016 (the year when Odisha held its first mega Make in Odisha conclave), 81 in 2017 and 75 in 2018. The significance here is Odisha had organised its Make In Odisha conclave 2.0 in 2018.

Industrial riots mean mobs/workers resorting to violence in instances pertaining to industrial disputes in the State.

An analysis of last decade data reveals big. While states like Jharkhand and Karnataka have brought down industrial riots sharply, the same is not discernible in case of Odisha.

The prevailing home-truths are seemingly a headache for the State government, when it is organising grand gala events like ‘Make in Odisha’ to lure investments. Because, post the Tuticorin riots, a business survey showed a dip in investors' confidence in Tamil Nadu.

For a State, which is positioning itself to become a number one investment destination in the country, the thumbs down revelation is with a total of  2,123 riots it figured in top-10 riotous states in the country in 2018.

Another significant takeaway for Odisha: Land/property disputes have emerged as the topmost singular factor for riots in the State in 2018, along with industrial riots.

Land/prpoerty disputes triggered 75 riots in Odisha in 2018, reveals the NCRB report.

Big takeaway: The NCRB report 2018 quite clearly evidenced how political riots are linked with elections in Odisha.

Political riots touched a high of 210 in 2017, the year Odisha saw rural polls. In 2018, the numbers dropped to 59 as the State had no poll fixtures during the year.

An analysis of data from 2009 - 2018 shows political riots touched a new height during poll years of 2009, 2012 and 2017. This very fact alludes to a nexus between violence and politics.

A warning shot: The disconcerting fact is spontaneous riots turned a law and order problem for the State again in 2018. Because, the State witnessed at least 5 such spontaneous riots a day since 2015. Odisha recorded 1,873 such riots in 2018.

What are Spontaneous riots: riots that happen at the spur of a moment and the trigger factor varies from road accident to tiff between villagers/mobs over a trifle dispute.