Over 1,000 tribals of Tibetan refugees-dominated Chandragiri and Mahendragarh in Gajapati district on Saturday gathered at Hatapada.
They resolved to start cultivating ‘their ancestral lands’, occupied by the refugees, from Sunday. CPI(M) State Secretary Janardan Pati, party farmers’ front leader Jagannath Mishra and party leader in Gajapati L Ram Gopal Rao addressed the gathering and mounted a scathing attack on the district bureaucracy and police.
They alleged the authorities had helped Tibetan refugees illegally take possession of nearly 2,400 acres of forest land belonging to tribals.
The tribals brought along their traditional weapons and were led by leader Devraj Beher Dalai and Dalit Adivasi Bikash Samiti president Sambaru Sabar. It was resolved that they would start cultivating the lands to take them back into possession. A serious law and order situation is feared.
