Ijurpa (Kalahandi), March 7: The sleepy village of Ijurpa, in the foothills of Niyamgiri, was bustling today as hundreds of Dangaria Kandha tribals came out to greet the “mahapuru” (demi-god) who would “save” their forests.

The “mahapuru” — Congress MP Rahul Gandhi — came to Ijurpa, 600km from Bhubaneswar, after starting his Orissa tour from Sinapali, which his father Rajiv Gandhi had visited in 1985.

Jitu Jakasika, a college student who interacted with Rahul, said: “We explained how Vedanta Alumina would affect the bio-diversity of Niyamgiri.… The survival of 25,000 primitive Dangaria Kandhas would be at stake. Rahulji said he was with us.”

Later, at a rally, Rahul called himself a “soldier” in the “struggle” to save forests.