A well-known communist poet in Orissa, Dasuram Majhi, has died of the waterborne disease cholera, which officials say has already killed over 140 people in three tribal-majority districts of the state.
Majhi, 35, died at his village Gudipanka in Gajapati district, some 300 km from here, on Monday, Dandapani Mohanty, convenor of banned Maoist outfit Daman Pratirodh Manch (DPM), told IANS.Majhi, a school dropout, has written several poems in Kui script (used by the Kui tribe). He created awareness among the tribals through his poems, Mohanty said.
Police had registered at least eight cases against him. Majhi was arrested in 2003 on charges of promoting and helping Maoists and was lodged in an Andhra Pradesh jail for over 16 months. A court acquitted him later.
Apart from several poems, Majhi has also written a book "Mora Sohala Masara Bandi Jibana" (My 16 months of imprisonment). He is survived by his 70-year-old mother, wife and four children.
Source-IANS
LIN /J
