Mahammad Ashlam from Kalahandi Odisha is talking to Manjula wife of Dhangra Majhi whose hand was chopped off by contractors on 15th Dec when he refused to work for them. She is sitting on a dharna in front of Collector office today demanding compensation of Rs 15 lakhs and 3 acre land. She says they are landless, dont have BPL and NREGA card. How will she feed her husband and 2 kids with Rs 4 lakhs which Govt has announced. Ashlam@09437145786

Mahammad Ashlam from Kalahandi in Odisha tells it is not even 3 days when it was all over in the press that contractors have chopped hands of two bonded laborers when they refused to work. Yesterday police raided Khariar railway station and rescued 700 laborers who were being taken to UP. The contractors managed to escape. The claims of development by Govt and ground reality are different, these continuing migration is a proof. Ashlam@09437145786

Mahammad Ashlam from Kalahandi Odisha is talking to social activist Bighnaraj Panda who tells him that he went to SP office on 13th Dec to tell him that the laborers have been abducted.He also gave numbers for abductors. On 14th they also went to local police station in Jaipatna with families of abducted labors to file a FIR. The incident of chopping hands took place at night of 15th Dec. Had police been active they could have stopped the incident. Ashlam@09437145786

Mahammad Ashlam from Kalahandi district is telling about a horrific case where 2 laborers Nilambar and Pialu Majhi from from Nuagaon village in Jaypatna block were punished by cutting their hands when they refused to go for work in Andhra Pradesh. The contractor had paid Rs 10,000 in advance to 12 families when they refused to go for work 2 of them were caught and were punished this way. Both are admitted in Bhawanipatna hospital. Ashlam@9437145786

Mahammad Ashlam from Odisha is telling us that Supreme Court has ordered that special Gram Sabhas in Niyamgiri hills will decide whether mining will take place there or not. Govt has issued an advertisement in local Odia papers that villagers from those villages can apply for their firest rights till 15th July. As no one is educated in those villages we are sending the same advertisement in Adivasi Kui language here. For more Ashlam Ji can be reached at 09437735622