Protests Begin For Halt to Evictions, Amendments to Act, and Scheduling 


Friends,


Protests have begun across the country in accordance with the call to action of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity. Yesterday, protests took place in multiple locations in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In the next five days, morchas, dharnas and public meetings will take place across the country on these demands. A list of some of the expected protests is below: others will also be taking place.

The demands of the Call to Action are as follows:

  1. Immediately halt all evictions and bring the Forest Rights Act into force to prevent such evictions.
  2. Amend the Forest Rights Act in this session of Parliament to correct the sabotage of the legislation at the time of its passage (see at end for required amendments).
  3. Halt all Joint Forest Management and plantation schemes that are aimed at takeover of people's lands. Any future 'participatory' conservation has to respect the powers and rights of the gram sabha under the Act.
  4. Respect the Constitutional provisions of the Fifth and Sixth Schedules and ensure that all adivasi areas are scheduled and all adivasis declared as Scheduled Tribes.
  5. Repeal or withdraw all policies and legislations aimed at making it easy to seize control of resources for capital, like the Special Economic Zones Act and the revised Environmental Impact Assessment notification.

PROTESTS PLANNED


ORISSA

Morcha planned in Bhubaneshwar on the 10th from the Chief Minister's house to the Governor's residence. Approximately 5,000 people are expected to participate.


RAJASTHAN

Morcha planned in Udaipur at the Town Hall on the 10th. More than 5,000 people are expected to participate.


GUJARAT

A public meeting which 1,000 people are expected to attend is planned at Gujarat Vidyapeeth in Ahmedabad on the 10th.


JHARKHAND

On the 9th and 10th of May, a dharna will take place in Birsa Chawk in Ranchi in which approximately 300 people are expected to participate.


MAHARASHTRA

On the 14th of May, demonstrations and morchas will take place in taluka headquarters in Thane, Raigad and Chandrapur Districts.


MADHYA PRADESH

A three day public meeting will take place with these demands on the 12th, 13th and 14th.


ANDHRA PRADESH

On the 7th (yesterday), dharnas were held in 11 Mandals in Khammam, Godavari, Vizianagaram, Vishakapatnam and Srikakulam districts in which a total of more than 3,200 people participated. A padayatra is being held in the same mandals today and tomorrow (the 9th), followed representations to the SDO and the Collector in all Mandals.


TAMIL NADU

Rallies took place yesterday in Gudalur (Nilgiris) which drew approximately 2,000 people and in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Sanctuary, which drew approximately 300 people.


CHATTISGARH

A morcha is planned in Raipur for the 11th, at which approximately 700 people will participate.