Odisha activist Lingaraj Azad's arrest sparks fresh debate on tribal rights and mining

By A Representative 

Human rights activist Lingaraj Azad was arrested by Odisha Police earlier this week, prompting concern among civil liberties groups and drawing attention once again to tensions over mining and land rights in the state’s Adivasi-dominated regions.

Azad was detained on March 25 from Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district along with fellow activist Suresh Sangram. Police have not yet publicly detailed the full grounds for the arrests, but the development has triggered criticism from sections of civil society, who allege a pattern of targeting grassroots organisers involved in anti-displacement movements.

Azad is a long-time political activist associated with the Samajwadi Jan Parishad and has been closely linked to people’s movements in Odisha, particularly those resisting large-scale mining and industrial projects in ecologically sensitive and tribal areas. He has played a visible role in campaigns connected to the Niyamgiri region, including mobilisations under the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, which opposed bauxite mining projects affecting the Dongria Kondh community. The movement had earlier gained national and international attention during protests against mining plans linked to Vedanta Resources.

Over the years, Azad has focused on issues of land acquisition, forest rights, and the implementation of constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Areas. Activists familiar with his work say he has consistently invoked provisions under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, as well as laws such as the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which require the consent of ग्राम सभाएँ (village assemblies) before land can be acquired for industrial or mining purposes.

Rights groups argue that the arrest comes amid intensifying conflicts over natural resource extraction in Odisha, one of India’s most mineral-rich states. Large-scale mining projects in districts such as Kalahandi, Rayagada and Koraput have long been contested by local communities, who cite displacement, environmental degradation, and loss of traditional livelihoods. Critics also allege that due process under laws meant to protect tribal autonomy is frequently diluted in practice.

In a statement, a coalition of organisations working on civil liberties issues, Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), condemned the arrests and called for Azad’s immediate release, describing the action as part of a broader trend of curbing dissent in resource-rich regions. The statement also raised concerns about the use of legal and administrative measures against activists, community leaders and organisations involved in resistance movements.

While the Odisha government has not officially responded to these allegations, officials in the past have maintained that its "development projects" follow legal procedures and are necessary for economic growth and employment generation.

The episode underscores the continuing friction between what the government considers development initiatives and rights-based claims in India’s Scheduled Areas, where questions of consent, environmental sustainability and indigenous rights remain deeply contested.