Two Odisha ministers visit violence-hit Malkangiri

Malkangiri: Two Odisha ministers on Thursday visited violence-hit Malkangiri district and reviewed the situation, while the administration has extended the suspension of internet services by another 12 hours. Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and MSME Minister Gokulananda Mallik reached the district headquarters town of Malkangiri and chaired a meeting with senior officials, including the Collector, ADGP (Naxal operation), DIG (Southern Range) and SP on the prevailing situation at MV-26 village.

The Deputy Chief Minister said in the meeting that no violence has been reported in MV-26 village in the last 60 hours. The clash erupted at MV-26 village when a tribal mob belonging to neighbouring Rakhelguda village allegedly attacked the Bengali settlement area on Sunday and Monday.

The tribals were angry over the recovery of the headless body of a tribal woman from the bank of the Poteru river on December 4. They suspected that a man from MV-26 village killed the woman, whose severed head was also found at a distance of 15 km on Wednesday.

A Home department notification on Thursday said: “As per the request of Collector and District Magistrate, theHome department extends prohibition of the use and access of social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, X and any other through internet and other medium of data services for another 12 hours till 12 midnight (11.12.2025) in Malkangiri district.”

Singh Deo also met representatives of Malkangiri Bengali Samaj (MBS) and District Adivasi Samaj Mahasangh at the Collector’s office here and heard their grievances. Both the groups submitted memorandum to the Deputy Chief Minister and apprised him of their demands while agreeing to cooperate in the restoration of peace in the district.

Speaking after the meeting, Singh Deo emphasised the importance of maintaining peace. He directed the administration to ensure law and order in the district and prevent further escalation of violence. In its petition, the Malkangiri Bengali Samaj has expressed concern over the safety of the Bengali settlers who have been staying in the tribal-dominated district for 60 years after being rehabilitated by the Central government in the 1960s.

While demanding a high-level inquiry into the violence at MV-26 and Rakhelguda murder case and arrest of the culprits, the MBS alleged that attacks on them were made by some influential people. During the riot, every house and household was attacked, they said.

“The people were saved as they fled from the scene, but their houses were destroyed and torched by the mob. All the houses were burned to ashes. After the attack, the way houses were damaged and burnt, some evidence was found of the use of dynamite and gelatin. We cannot deny the involvement of Maoist ultras behind such an attack,” said MBS president Gouranga Karmakar.

The MBS demanded that the government provide seeds, fertilisers and all necessary things to cultivate for the upcoming season free of cost, as the people have lost everything in the violence.

Tribals, on the other hand, claimed that their lands are being encroached by non-tribals, and Malkangiri witnessed a rise in crime due to the influx of infiltrators between 1970 and 1980. The Bangladeshi infiltrators should be immediately evicted from Malkangiri, they said.

The District Adivasi Samaj Mahasangh, Malkangiri, in its petition to the Deputy Chief Minister, alleged that non-tribals are fraudulently purchasing tribal lands and encroaching upon community land. The tribals are at the receiving end due to the non-implementation of different laws, including the PESA (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act.

They demanded that the family of the deceased tribal woman be given land rights over which she was eking out a living by cultivation. “She was killed over the land dispute, and her family should be given rights over that piece of land,” the tribals said. The police havearrested one 42-year-old man from MV-26 village who allegedly killed the tribal woman following a dispute over sharecropping.