India – CASR Stands in Solidarity with the People of Tijimali; Condemns State Repression and Corporate Loot

We hereby share a press statement issued by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR).

The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) strongly condemns the ongoing repression, mass surveillance, and criminalisation of Adivasi and Dalit communities in the Tijmali region of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in Odisha. We stand in unwavering solidarity with the courageous people—particularly the women of Tijmali—who have bravely defied draconian prohibitory orders to protect their jal, jangal, zameen, and their sacred ancestral lands from destructive mining projects.

The recent imposition of prohibitory orders, restricting basic democratic rights such as assembly, clearly exposes the intent of the administration. Under the guise of “development,” roads are being constructed not for public welfare but to facilitate the entry and operations of the Vedanta corporation for bauxite mining. This is yet another example of how state machinery is being deployed to serve corporate interests at the cost of indigenous communities.

The pre-dawn raids in Talampadar on March 11, resulting in the arrest of 21 Adivasis—including women, a pregnant woman, and mothers of infants—represent a gross violation of constitutional protections and legal norms. The use of force, destruction of homes, and testimonies of physical abuse and humiliation reflect a systematic attempt to terrorise the population into submission.

We are deeply alarmed by the increasing militarisation of the region: the deployment of large police contingents, drone surveillance, arbitrary arrests, and fabricated cases against community leaders and activists. This pattern of repression is not isolated but part of a broader strategy to crush democratic resistance.

CASR unequivocally condemns the growing nexus between the state administration and Vedanta, which is aggressively pushing mining projects in ecologically sensitive and constitutionally protected Scheduled Areas. These projects threaten to displace thousands of Adivasis and Dalits, destroy forests, water sources, and biodiversity, and desecrate sacred cultural landscapes. Across Odisha and other mineral-rich regions of the country, similar projects have led to large-scale displacement, environmental devastation, and the erosion of indigenous ways of life. The ongoing developments in Tijmali are part of this wider pattern of corporate loot and resource plunder enabled by the state.

We demand:

– Immediate withdrawal of all prohibitory orders in the region

– Release of all arrested Adivasis and withdrawal of false cases

– An independent judicial inquiry into police violence and illegal arrests

– An immediate halt to all mining-related activities in Tijmali and surrounding areas

– Recognition and respect for the constitutional rights of Adivasi communities, including Gram Sabha consent under the Fifth Schedule

CASR calls upon all democratic rights organisations, progressive groups, and concerned citizens to raise their voices against this injustice and stand in solidarity with the people of Tijmali.

“Until our last breath, we will struggle to protect Tijmali” — this is not just a slogan, but a collective assertion of dignity, resistance, and survival.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION

Organising Team

(AIRSO,AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, COLLECTIVE, CRPP, CSM, CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, Nazariya Magazine , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, United Peace Alliance, WSS, Y4S)