On March 25, 2026, activist leaders Lingaraj Azad and Suresh Sangram were arrested in Odisha’s Kalahandi district. They have both been closely involved in defending the rights of rural and Adivasi communities over jal, jangal, and zameen (water, forests, and land), and in opposing the mining corporate Vedanta Ltd. This bauxite-rich part of Odisha is coveted by mining corporations, and the district has witnessed previous tribal struggles to retain their land. Corporate interest has now shifted to Sijimali.

Mining project and ecological concerns

In 2023, the Vedanta group secured a letter of intent to start mining at the Sijimali bauxite block, spread over an area of around 1,549 hectares, with an estimated bauxite reserve of 311 million tonnes.

Sijimali refers to a range of hills famous for its pristine forest and rich biodiversity, and carries sacred significance for the indigenous communities living here, as their presiding deity Teej Raja resides in a cave atop the Sijimali hill.

Use of stringent laws questioned

Azad and Sangram, like many activists before them, have been charged under the draconian UAPA, along with provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to criminal conspiracy, sedition, and support to unlawful organisations.

Aflatoon, heading the Samajwadi Jan Parishad, of which Lingaraj Azad has been president, questions how anti-terror laws are being used to punish democratic dissent. “The mining area is spread over more than 18 tribal-dominated villages which fall under Schedule Five of the Constitution, that allows Adivasis the right to self-governance and cultural autonomy. Under PESA and FRA, no private mining can take place without the prior consent of the Gram Sabhas. But no prior consent was sought from the local villagers before leasing out the hills,” Aflatoon said.

Allegations of intimidation and surveillance

These arrests are part of intimidatory tactics being........

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