States » EastPosted at: Oct 22 2026 7:27PM


CPI (M) questions arrests of activists opposing mining projects in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Oct 22 (UNI) The CPI(M) Odisha State Committee on Thursday demanded the immediate release of Dr Randall Secura, a physician serving tribal communities in Kalahandi and Rayagada for years, and Dalit youth leader Laxman Naik, alleging that their arrests reflect a wider crackdown on those opposing mining projects in the region.
In a statement, the party said the two were detained on the night of October 16 and arrested the following day. It questioned the circumstances of their arrest, the alleged failure to inform their families, and the filing of cases involving serious charges.
The CPI (M) alleged that tribals, Dalits and social activists opposing the mining projects associated with Vedanta at Sijimali and the Adani Group at Kutrumali were facing sustained repression. More than 100 people were reportedly in jail, with cases registered against many others, it claimed.
The party demanded the withdrawal of what it termed false and politically motivated cases, an end to police action against protesters, and an impartial judicial inquiry into the police action at Kantamal on April 6–7 this year and the recent arrests.
It also called for the protection of tribal land, forests, livelihoods and constitutional rights, insisting that the Fifth Schedule, PESA and the Forest Rights Act be respected. Mining projects, it said, should not proceed without the required legal clearances and Gram Sabha consent.
“Democratic struggles to protect water, forests and land cannot be criminalised. The rights of tribals and Dalits cannot be sacrificed to corporate interests,” the party said, urging the State Government to safeguard citizens’ constitutional rights.
The statement was issued by CPI (M) Odisha State Committee secretary Suresh Chandra Panigrahi.
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Tags: #CPI (M) questions arrests of activists opposing mining projects in Odisha
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