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A tribal and AIKMS leader, Com. Adangu Gomango, from Odhisa, was brutally murdered by landlords’ and right wing goons, on the night of May 22. He was well versed in Saura, the local tribal language. Though he could not read and write, he was an able organiser. Right till his end he never flinched an inch in standing by the people and inspiring them to organise and struggle for their basic rights.
Past district AIKMS and Lok Sangram Manch president of Ganjam district, Odhisa, Comrade Adangu Gomango was brutally killed on the midnight of May 22 by local landlord goons and right-wing activists. He was killed by hacking his neck, in cold blood, while he was sleeping in the verandah of his house. He was 55-year-old and was a very popular tribal leader who had been leading tribal peasant movements in Ganjam for last three decades.
Com. Gomango belonged to a poor tribal family of Kumarabandha, in Dharakote block, of Ganjam district. He had been actively organising the poor people, particularly the tribal in Ganjam district for the last 15 years, since 2001, under the banner of Lok Sangram Manch and AIKMS. He led several struggles of tribal and Dalits over land, forest right, against the atrocities of police and forest officials and against caste oppression in Ganjam. The main targets of these struggles were the forest officials and the local landlords, particularly the non tribal landlords.
Com. Gomango was an extremely arousing orator, well versed in Saura, the local tribal language of Saura tribal. Though he could not read and write, he was an able organiser. He had immense faith in the power of peoples’ struggle and their organisation. Right till his end he never flinched an inch in standing by the people and inspiring them to organise and struggle for their basic rights. Three years back he was physically attacked by the armed goons of Bajarang Dal with the support of local landlords and ruling party leaders.
Few days before his cold-blooded murder also there was a clash between his village people and landlords of his neighboring village over forest land. The tribal people of his village had received forest right titles in the above forest which these landlords wanted to capture forcefully. On this issue, he had approached the local authorities to ensure the rights of the tribal. These landlords and professional killers belonging to the right wing are suspected to have conducted this dastardly killing.
The Central Executive Committee of AIKMS dips its flag in the memory of this valiant warrior and calls upon people to remain steadfast in their struggle. Though with his death the toiling masses of Odisha, particularly the tribal have lost one of their bravest sons, CEC has faith that the struggle will intensify. CEC calls upon all units to mobilise their ranks and call for a crime branch enquiry into this murder and arrest of the culprits.
©DTNS
Pic from Net.
