Bhawanipatna | Jun 06, 2016: When the entire world was celebrating World Environment Day on Sunday, cries of 'living with trees' rented the air in remote Jagannathpur village of Odisha's Lanjigarh block.

It was raining. Young tribals sang a song with traditional music: Ame sabu gute gachhara dali, tor bina nei paru re rahi (We are the branches of a tree, and without you we cannot live." The melody reverberated around Niyamgiri hills.

On May 29, the members of the tribal community under the banner of Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti (NSS) began a rally (padayatra) against police excess on tribals and mining activities on the forest. At the rally, which concluded on Sunday, they chanted: "Jaan jau jau jiban jau, Niyamgiri banchi thau" (Even if death comes, let live Niyamgiri).

The president of NSS, Lado Sikoka, said they sensitized villagers residing in the hills to protect the environment at any cost during the padayatra. He said that state government was repeatedly trying to mine the hill, and many innocent tribals were tortured for trying top protect their homeland. "The government wants the tribals to vacate their land by instilling fear," alleged Sikoka.

"Our colleagues are being tortured by police without any reason. Police pick up innocent men from marketplace and their homes. They are often branded as Maoists and tortured in the name of interrogation. A Class VIII student, Kadraka Manda, was shot dead by police during the combing operation in Rayagada disitrict two months ago," Sikoka told the reporters.

Convenor of NSS, Lingaraj Azad, said that the tribals, who play an important role to save the environment, have not been given their forest rights yet by the state.

The programme was attended by eminent social activist Medha Patkar, Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Parikh, environmentalist Prafulla Samantara, Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das among others.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)