Kendrapara: The police firing on unarmed women carrying out an anti-liquor campaign at Namtara in Kendrapara district on the occasion of International Women’s Day in 2015 still lingers in the minds of the people, a report said. Meanwhile, the incident has completed nine years, the report added. However, the incident is still fresh in the minds of people as scores of unarmed women agitating for a cause had to face the police onslaught on that day. A woman Sasmita Jena, who was rendered critical in the firing, is yet to forget that day as a bullet is still stuck in her abdomen.
However, despite the police onslaught, the women of Namtara still continue to fight against liquor sale. Moreover, the state government which ordered for a RDC probe is yet to publish the report. The women of Namtara also alleged that they have not received proper compensation. Another woman Benga Jena who was shot twice by police said her normal life has been hit since that incident. She said that hailing from a Dalit family, financial scarcity always plagues them. They were facing acute financial hardship in meeting their family expenses but their men folk used to consume liquor at the local liquor shop. They apprised the administrative officials and the political leaders about their problem but their problems were never addressed. Left with no option, they staged a protest outside the village liquor shop on the occasion of International Women’s Day in 2015. However, the district police fired at them leaving 37 of them critical. The police firing has failed to deter them but has further strengthened their resolve to continue with their agitation against liquor sales in their village. A girl Rashmita, who was then studying in Class-IX, said that two bullets hit her when she was returning home from tuition. She recovered but had to drop out of her studies. Another girl Reeta Jena who was then studying in Class-VIII said the police firing changed her course of life. She failed to complete her studies. She is now suffering from knee pain due to the police firing and is not able to walk properly. Srikant Jena, a member of Odisha Nisha Nibaran Abhiyan said the incident which occurred March 8 shook the whole state.
The state government then directed the RDC, Central Division to conduct a probe into the incident. The then RDC Akhila Bihari Ota took charge of the probe March 12 and recorded the statements of 57 witnesses by September, 2016. He informed me that the report will be available by October, 2016 but it is yet to be published. The affected women have allegedly received only pittance as compensation after the OSHRC intervened. When contacted, ADM Pitambar Samal said all injured women have received Rs 50,000 as compensation while Rs 1.5 lakh has been given to Sasmita Jena.