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Bhubaneswar: Take a note of this. January 19: As many as 63 supporters of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS), mostly active in Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks of Koraput district surrendered before Avinash Kumar, SP, Koraput. Police claimed 23 of them hail from Bhaliaput village to which CMAS chief Nachika Linga belongs.
January 13: 69 supporters of the tribal outfit surrendered before the Narayanpatna police promising to lead a normal life.
January 12: 34 members of the controversial pro-CPI (ML) outfit surrendered at Narayanpatna police station while the number stood at 15 the previous day.
If surrender spree of the tribal activists is anything to go by, it is according to political observers, most likely to weaken the Maoists’ sway in the region who have been using these locals as shields to carryout offensive activities since long.
“The activists, many of whom have involved themselves with the group for quite a long time hoping to reap economical benefit out of their association, have now started realising that they have become victims of the conflict between Maoists and the police,” said an observer on condition of anonymity.
“They also want to lead a normal life like others in the region availing benefits of developmental schemes of the government meant for the tribals and poor,” said the source adding the supporters were under immense pressure from the group which mandated them not to be carried away by government’s ‘tribal-wooing’ schemes.
Members of the controversial outfit, frustrated over the delay in land-settlement process now want to live a normal life with the rehabilitation policy of the government which declares to help in getting married, education to them ort to their family members, starting some business among others.
Now, since Nachika, involved in around 30 Red offensives and attack on Narayanpatna police station in 2009, is on the run, the supporters find it the most suitable time to give up weapons, sources said.
According to unconfirmed reports, the CMAS chief has recently expressed his willingness to surrender before the Chief Minister if all cases against him and other CMAS activists were withdrawn. Besides, Linga also wants proper land settlement in Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks so that landless tribal people get their due land rights.
Reports say, the CMAS members had captured over 2000 acres of cultivable lands in the region and redistributed them among tribals.
