Crop on 1,500 acres occupied by CMAS not harvested

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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/11/27/stories/2009112752190300.htm)
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Crop on 1,500 acres occupied by CMAS not harvested


Staff Reporter

Its activists had taken over around 2,000 acres from non-tribals

CMAS activists had adopted organic farming on these fieldsHarvesting disrupted as many members go underground after violence
BERHAMPUR: Standing crop remains unattended on around 1,500 acres of disputed agricultural land taken over by the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) in tense Narayanpatna block of Koraput district.
The CMAS activists had taken over around 2,000 acres of agricultural land from the possession of non-tribals during beginning of this year. The CMAS activists had alleged that these patches of ‘tribal’ land had been taken over by non-tribals by deceit. This land takeover and the violence that followed it had turned Narayanpatna block tense.
The CMAS activists had cultivated paddy on the seized agricultural land. According to sources the crop was above average in these fields. The CMAS activists had adopted organic farming on these fields. A few weeks ago they had ceremoniously started harvesting the bumper crop. The violent incident that led to police firing at Narayanpatna police station which killed two of its activists on Nov 20 disrupted the harvesting of this crop by the CMAS members, who have gone into hiding.

The irony
The non-tribals who had once claimed right over the land are also not available to claim stake on the harvest. Most of them have left their villages due to fear of attack by CMAS activists.
The irony is that the administration is also not in a position to interfere in this matter. Legalities become stumbling block. According to Koraput district Collector, Gadadhar Parida, till now no one has come over with a complaint regarding the ownership of the said land and its crop. The Revenue department can intervene and harvest the crop only if there is an unresolved documented dispute over the land. As per the norms the harvest could be sold and the amount would be handed over to the legal owner of the land once the dispute gets solved. But officially no such dispute has been reported by non-tribals who had earlier possessed the land.
Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, who has been appointed by the government as special advocate to look after the tribal land dispute cases of Narayanpatna area, said the administration should not let this standing crop rot in the fields when most areas of the State are reeling under drought. According to him this crop can be harvested and kept by the administration till the real ownership of the disputed land is decided.


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