By Sunil Jena, Editor-in-Chief | The Politics Odia
Bhubaneswar: Keonjhar, the mineral-rich district of Odisha and the political home turf of Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, is today witnessing a deep crisis of Odia identity. Despite being one of India’s largest iron ore belts, the local Odia population, tribals, daily wage workers, and unemployed youth are increasingly being sidelined in their own land.
The reason? The growing dominance of the Jaiswal family, Rajesh Jaiswal, Arun Jaiswal, and Mata Jaiswal, through their company RJ Logistic Private Limited. Reports from the ground suggest that this non-Odia company has captured the entire mining transport network in Keonjhar. Trucks, contracts, and logistics are controlled by them. Yet, locals complain that not a single Odia is given fair employment opportunities. Instead, labourers from outside states are being brought in.
This has created resentment among Keonjhar’s people, who are now asking why Odias are reduced to second-class citizens in their own soil. Why are outsiders allowed to monopolise mining transportation while locals are pushed into joblessness?
Recently, the Keonjhar Nagarik Manch wrote to the Prime Minister, highlighting the anarchy, loot, and exploitation by these companies. The letter questions the very role of the BJP government in Odisha. After all, the BJP came to power on the promise of protecting Odia Asmita (Odia identity). Yet in Keonjhar, under the watch of an Odia tribal Chief Minister, non-Odias are dictating the fate of the district.
The bigger question is, do Odias lack the capability to run mining and transportation businesses in their own state? Or has the political-bureaucratic nexus allowed non-Odia companies to thrive unchecked?
The Jaiswal empire’s rise is not just an economic story; it is a political and social one. It strikes at the heart of Odisha’s identity, its dignity, and the rights of its people. Unless urgent steps are taken, Keonjhar may well become an example of how resource-rich regions can be turned into colonies, where locals are reduced to spectators in their own land.
This is not just about Keonjhar. This is about Odisha’s future. And the question remains, will the Chief Minister act, or will the Jaiswal dominance continue?
