Koraput/Bhubaneswar: Angry tribals armed with axes and sharp objects clashed with police on Tuesday over construction of a road linked to a Vedanta Group bauxite mining block in Rayagada district, leaving 58 cops among 70 people injured.The villagers allegedly attacked the police using tangias (axes) and other traditional tools commonly used for farming and cutting trees.“One officer narrowly escaped serious injury as his helmet absorbed the blow from an axe, though the helmet was damaged. The attackers largely used the blunt side of the axes while several others pelted stones at the security personnel,” a witness said.Authorities said the situation escalated when protesters turned violent after a police team reached Kantamal village under Kashipur police limits early in the morning to arrest a leader in connection with earlier offences.Rayagada SP Swathy S Kumar said around 5 am, a police team had gone to arrest Sudarshan Majhi after a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with 14 criminal cases, including an attempt to murder. Majhi is also among those opposing the road project.The unrest centres on a proposed 3-km road from Purlong to Shagabari Ghat, which locals view as a precursor to mining in the ecologically sensitive Sijimali hills.Residents have long opposed the project, citing fears of displacement, loss of forest rights and damage to traditional livelihoods.“About 250 tribals from Kantamal and neighbouring villages gheraoed the police team and attacked personnel with lathis and sharp weapons, injuring at least 58 police personnel, including officers of ASP, DSP and IIC ranks,” the SP said.She added that the attackers obstructed medical assistance to the injured personnel and continued stone pelting. “The police had to use tear gas shells and resort to lathi-charge to retreat safely,” Kumar said.Six police personnel sustained grievous injuries and were shifted to Visakhapatnam after preliminary treatment at the district headquarters hospital.According to hospital sources, they are all in regular wards and are in stable condition. “All sustained blunt injuries. Other than that, there is no major threat to their lives. However, we will continue round-the-clock supervision to ensure they receive the best possible treatment,” said a hospital source.Among the others injured were Rayagada SDPO Gourishankar Sahu, Kashipur IIC Deb Mallick and SI Sandhyarani Tirki. Others are undergoing treatment at Kashipur community health centre and a private hospital in Doraguda.A villager alleged that eight people sustained serious injuries in police lathi-charge, while several others were hurt. Anti-mining activist Prafulla Samantara condemned what he described as late-night police excesses on villagers who were protesting peacefully. “There should be a fair inquiry into the incident,” he said.Rayagada collector Asutosh Kulkarni, who visited the area, appealed to villagers to maintain peace and resolve issues through dialogue.Vedanta Group bagged the Sijimali bauxite reserve through auction in 2023. The reserve, estimated at over 300 million tonnes, spans 1,549 hectares across 18 villages and lies within or close to more than 20 reserve forests and nine water bodies in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts — both Fifth Schedule areas with predominantly tribal populations, including Kondh and Paraja communities, along with Dom scheduled caste habitations.A Vedanta official said it would be inappropriate to comment on the situation as the company is yet to start mining operations at Sijimali. “The incident involves the administration and local residents. Vedanta remains committed to fulfilling all statutory and corporate social responsibility obligations,” the official said.Though the villagers have been protesting in Sijimali mines even before it was auctioned, recent tension sparked first on March 31, when villagers protested against the road during a visit by administration officials. Authorities had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) on April 3, restricting assembly of more than four persons near the site.
