‘Tribals are Not Entertainment’: Community Protests against Tourism Project in Odisha’s Niyamgiri

The indigenous Dongria Kondh community, tucked away in Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills, is fighting against mining and corporate interests in the region. In its latest bid to privatise their land and open it up for corporate interests, the state government proposed an “eco tourism project”. The proposed site for the project is the Arishakani village of Kurli Gram Panchayat and Rs one crore has been sanctioned for the project.

Opposing the Odisha State Forest Department’s move, the particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) of the Dongrias has claimed that the land which has been provided to the department by the Odisha Empowerment and Livelihoods Improvement Programme (OPELIP) belongs to them, and that they would resist each move towards taking away their land. The community is currently staging protests in the region. Aside from concerns of the land being taken away, the community is anxious over fears of the imposition of mainland culture.

Speaking to NewsClick, Jitu Jaksika, a tribal activist from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and a member of the Dongria community, explained that land in tribal communities is divided among clans. He said the land in question comes under the Pusika clan. “The project has been handed over to the forest department. We know when the forest department takes over the land, we will not be free, there will be restrictions in the collection of forest produce. We have previously seen different projects being initiated, like a tribal market and a food processing unit among others, but we only see buildings, no work has been done,” he said.

“Our people do not want to give up this land. We are not getting our space, our pattas. If we give this land our people will suffer. When the project begins people will want to come and see the tribals, the guides will come and use the community for their entertainment; they will bribe us to take pictures etc,” he added.

Dongrias hailing from 27 villages in the Niyamgiri hills gathered in large numbers at Arishakani under Bissamcuttack block in Rayagada district to oppose the move. Leaders of the community said that they would not allow for the construction of eco-tourism cottages on their farmland at any cost.

The region has five gram panchayats, and activists allege that consent was not taken from any one of them. The project was given a go-ahead without consulting the community and its people say it is being imposed on them.

The bigger battle for the community in the hills is to protect their own identity and culture. The infiltration of outsiders is being looked at with grave suspicion, as one which could turn the adivasi culture into a commodity. Activists have said that the move is being disguised as one which will benefit the region. However, they say it is likely that it will impose mainstream Hindu culture and destroy their unique cultural identity.

Also read: ‘Adivasis Not Hindus’: Protests Demanding Sarna Code Intensify in Jharkhand