Yet another death of a migrant labourer, hanging body recovered: 3 such deaths in 35 days
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, July 5: In a shocking incident, the hanging body of a youth named Kuldhara Gouda from Chandagiri village of Kashipur block, who migrated to Tamil Nadu to work as a labourer, has been recovered. His body was found hanging from a tree in a suspicious manner. No information has been received about the circumstances under which Kuldhar committed suicide or was hanged by any assailant. The family, which has filed an FIR in Kashipur PS, has also not been able to provide information about the circumstances under which such an incident took place. In this regard, the family has requested the labour department to bring the corpse to Kashipur.
It is worth mentioning here that last Saturday the body of migrant labourer Pradeep Sabar of Alangada village of Sagada panchayat in Gunupur block was found hanging. Last month, a young woman named Bilma Gamang from Sagada village under Gunupur block had gone to work in a prawn processing factory in Bhimavaram, Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Her body was found hanging on a tree under suspicious circumstances near the factory hostel.
One more migrant worker named Dhanapati Nayak of Dongasil village from Kashipur block, Rayagada lost his life in Thrissur, Kerala after being assaulted by six youths from Assam. Nayak worked at a restaurant for 5 years.
The youths of the district are facing such unnatural deaths as they go to work as labourers outside the state. This has created panic among the migrant labourers. Three such deaths have occurred in last 35 days. It is estimated that more than 50,000 young people from Rayagada district are working as labourers in various states of the country. Most of them from Rayagada are working in South India. The government has informed that the maximum number of migrant labourers are from Kashipur and Kalyansinghpur blocks of Rayagada district.
According to Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathy, out of sixty two labourers, who were brought back to Odisha from Thiruvallur where the ill fated ammonia accident took 15 precious lives of tribals, there are few from Rayagada.
“It is unfortunate that mostly youths from weaker sections are facing such catastrophe. While Kashipur block has the highest number of mines and industries in Rayagada, the majority of young people are still migrating as labourers from Kashipur itself. This is the irony. We have also witnessed massive corruption in MGNREGA(Now known as Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin-VBGRAMG) in Kashipur block where a cement bag was billed for Rs.1,80,000.00. Labour deptt seems to lack a safety netback up plan. As more and more industries are still planning to operate in Kashipur, it is high time to initiate a dialogue among different stakeholders for a concerted, ethical & non-aggressive development process”, said Bidulata Huika, District President of KBK Surakshya O Unnayan Parishad.
