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@watchthestate

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We track state-sanctioned violence, and record the silencings and the everyday brutality that don’t make prime time. Tag us. By @thepolisproject.

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Fridays for Future, Odisha, strongly condemns the arrest of Laxman Naik and Dr. Randall Sequeira, two individuals associated with the people's movement resisting bauxite mining in the Sijimali hills of Southern Odisha.

On the night of 16th October, 2026, the two were arrested from Dr. Sequeira’s residence in Bhawanipatna and subsequently remanded to Rayagada Sub-Jail. They were not informed of the grounds for their detention and were denied timely access to their families and lawyers. They also face serious criminal charges related to the April 6–7 incident in Kantamal, despite reportedly not being named in the FIR. Dr. Sequeira has been working in Kalahandi & Rayagada regions to make healthcare accessible to Adivasi and Dalit communities. Laxman Naik is a Dalit activist associated with the Maa Mati Mali Surakhya Manch, a grassroots organization formed as a response to the projects.

Earlier this year, Lingaraj Azad was arrested on March 25, followed by Hiramal Naik on August 28, and Lada Sikaka on September 10, 2026. All three are prominent leaders of the movements defending their lands, forests and community rights against mining projects.

The Sijimali and Niyamgiri hills form part of the ecologically rich Eastern Ghats, supporting diverse forests, wildlife and vital watersheds. Their forests help regulate local water cycles, prevent soil erosion and sustain an intricate network of streams and livelihoods. Large-scale bauxite mining threatens to fragment habitats, disrupt water systems and undermine the ecological balance on which both biodiversity and the communities depend.
We stand in solidarity with the Adivasi and Dalit communities defending their Jal, Jangal, Jameen. The right to peacefully protest, organise, and question projects affecting one's land and future is fundamental to a democratic society.
We call for an impartial examination of the allegations surrounding these arrests, accountability for the police violence in Kantamal, and an end to the harassment and criminalization of people's peaceful participation in constitutional rights.

Release Lingaraj Azad
Release Hiramal Naik
Release Lada Sikaka
Release Randall Sequeria
Release Laxman Naik

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A lot is happening in India! Shots from this week!

#jantarmantar #india #panjab #delhi

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⚠️ Instagram has restricted access to reporting by The Polis Project and Watch the State in India ⚠️

On October 16, Instagram notified us that our Daily Protest Brief post was unavailable in India, citing legal requirements under India’s Information Technology rules.

The notice links to Meta’s Content Restrictions Transparency Center. But it does not explain why this post was restricted. And it offers no way to appeal or report the decision.

For journalists documenting communities in resistance, restrictions like these raise concerns about public access to reporting on protests and abuses of power.

We do not know what prompted this decision. What we do know is that our commitment to reporting dissent remains unchanged. This will not stop us ✊

👉 Now, more than ever, follow us for stories that power wants to silence.

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Tiranga Yatra, October 16, 2026 | New Delhi, 04:30 PM
Abhijeet Dipke has been served a notice by the Delhi Police not hold the march around 3 PM. Despite the orders, a huge crowd has gathered near Central Park. Armed forces are also positioned in huge numbers. Name tags have been seen so far.

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Beti ko kisse bachao?

Footage credit :- @peektv_in & @avantika.inc

#delhi #protest #cjp #news

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General Reginald Dyer was the British officer who ordered troops to open fire on unarmed civilians at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, in one of the most notorious massacres of British colonial rule in India.

In this satirical piece, @the.savalavada imagines Dyer congratulating India’s current leadership for carrying on the colonial tradition of violently suppressing dissent.

Because, apparently, the British Raj never left.

🔗 Read the full letter at the link in bio.

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Update: We spoke to NSUI Legal Cell Chamber Chairperson, Vimal Tyagi regarding Ritu and Athira's detention.

They have now been taken for MLC.

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2:20 PM / 13th October / Janpath - Student activists from RWPI and Disha brutally detained.

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Update: Day 4 Delhi Protests, October 13, 2026

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Day 4, Delhi Protests

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7:15 PM / Sansad Marg - Protestors detained, journalists harassed and nearly detained, one of the protestors allegedly fainted after nearly being choked while being detained by the Delhi police.

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Right after the face off between police forces and protestors, another march has begun towards Jantar Mantar from Barakhamba road.

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