‘Not the first time': Tribal leaders' demand action against Achyuta Samanta over student safety in KISS

Tribal leaders on Thursday expressed serious concern about the safety of tribal students in educational institutions, following the brutal murder of a Class IX tribal student at the prestigious Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Bhubaneswar.

The incident has triggered strong reactions from tribal leaders, who questioned how such a serious crime could take place inside a large and well-known educational institution.

“As far as my knowledge goes, a lot of officers and politicians’ wives have been given jobs there. Most of them don’t perform their duties, but withdraw their salaries by sitting at home. There is a serious lapse in the well-being of the students because of this. You build an institution for the future of the students, but do not run it with utmost sincerity. We respect that the founder has built such an institution that has earned accolades from all over the world, but he should be held accountable,” stated Parama Pujari, Former Tribal Affairs Minister.

Also Read: KISS student murder case: Questions mount over founder Achyuta Samanta’s role as probe deepens

Likewise, Tribal leader Harabati Gonda said, “This is not the first time. Many students have gone missing or died similarly in KISS. However, they were being concealed. All thanks to the police officials who are working to bring justice to the students. The founder, who has established this world-class institute, should be first arrested and held accountable.”

“We send our children to study. If they are strangulated to death, then it is a heinous crime. Achyuta Samanta is running a business in the name of education. All tribals from Odisha highly condemn this and demand strict action as per law,” stated Parameshwar Nayak, Member, Sundargarh Tribal Welfare Association.