TBN,20/02/24: In a significant demonstration of protest against exploitation and government neglect, hundreds of tribals, dalits, and laborers from Malkangiri district, Odisha, embarked on a 170 km march under the leadership of CPI(M) leaders Ali Patnaik 
and Braj Majhi.
Their journey culminated at the Malkangiri district collector’s office, where they presented a demand memorandum to the Chief Minister.
The key demands include the cancellation of the forest law amendment by the central government, immediate enactment of the PESA Act in Odisha with full powers granted to the Gram Sabha, allocation of land leases of up to 10 acres to each tribal family under the Forest Rights Act 2006, cessation of tribal land encroachment by the Forest department, provision of land to traditional forest inhabitants under the forest rights act, prompt identification and leasing of forest lands to rightful owners, mandatory social impact assessments for tribal and dalit land acquisitions, implementation of a stringent system for reclaiming tribal lands occupied by non-tribals, allocation of land leases to all impoverished homeless individuals residing on government land, and guaranteeing 200 work days per year with an increased daily wage of Rs 600 under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Guaranteed Employment Act (MGNREGA), with the use of machines and developer work considered as criminal acts.
