THOUSANDS PROTEST DEMANDING HALT TO EVICTIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO
FOREST RIGHTS ACT, SCHEDULING OF ADIVASI AREAS
Thousands of people have come on to the streets between May 7th and
11th in response to the call to action of the Campaign for Survival and
Dignity, a federation of tribal and forest dwellers' organisations from
across the country. The protesters demanded an immediate halt to the
evictions taking place across India, where adivasis and forest dwellers
are being targeted in a deliberate effort to prevent them claiming
their rights under the historic Forest Rights Act passed in December
last year. The protesters also demanded amendments to the Act to
correct the sabotage that took place at the time of its passage, as
well as demanding Constitutional protection for all adivasi areas.
Yesterday, Rajasthan and Orissa witnessed large protests of 5,000 –
6,000 people each in Udaipur and Bhubaneshwar respectively. The
protesters marched against evictions, demanding the implementation of
the Act and amendments in it, while also protesting the seizure of
adivasi lands for industrial, plantation and SEZ projects in those
States. In Tamil Nadu, four areas – Gudalur, Kalakkad (Tirunelveli
District) and Kanyakumari – witnessed large protests, with Gudalur
seeing 2,000 people on the 7th and another 1,000 protesters on the 11th
(today). In Andhra Pradesh, dharnas and padayatras took place across 11
Mandals from the 7th till the 10th, demanding scheduling of adivasi
areas as well as protection of forest rights (organised with the 5th
Schedule Sadhana Committee and Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vridhidharula
Committee). Meanwhile, Gujarat and Chattisgarh saw large dharnas and
public conventions, each drawing more than 500 people, in Ahmedabad (on
the 10th) and in Raipur (today). In Jharkhand, a two day dharna in
Ranchi drew more than 300 people on both the 9th and 10th.
The protests have not yet come to an end. On the 14th, thousands will
be marching in taluka headquarters across Thane, Raigad and Chandrapur
districts of Maharashtra. In Madhya Pradesh, a three day public
convention is expected to take place starting tomorrow with the same
demands. Finally, on the 12th., more than 2,000 people are expected to
march in Siliguri, West Bengal, demanding land and forest rights.
The outflow of protest across India reflects popular anger at the
sabotage of the Forest Rights Act, both when it was passed in
Parliament and on the ground by the systematic, brutal pattern of
evictions that have occurred since then. The Forest Rights Act is a
historic legislation, the first legislative measure in India's history
aimed at addressing the seizure of the homes, lands and livelihoods of
tribals and forest dwellers through the declaration of 'government
forests.' These 'forests' are not uninhabited wildernesses, as they are
often portrayed, but are the homelands of this nation's forest
communities. Now labelled as 'encroachers' for no crime except their
close relationship with the forest and its resources, these communities
have fought for more than a century to reclaim their rights to their
homes. This legislation, which promised to be a step towards that goal,
was sabotaged at the last minute of its passage in Parliament, making
it far more difficult to implement. In the months since then, the
forest authorities across India have intensified their eviction drives,
driving people off their lands and homes to prevent them claiming their
rights. Meanwhile, these evictions are accompanied and amplified by the
continuing process of displacement and forcible grabbing of land and
resources for mining corporations, SEZs and private companies, all in
the name of 'development' – and all in total violation of the
Constitution's protections for tribal communities, as well as any
notion of social, environmental or economic justice.
These protests are a cry of outrage against these developments, and a
warning to the Central government – merely passing a legislation in
name, while trampling on the rights of people in practice, is no
solution to the conflagration engulfing our forest areas. The struggle
for justice will continue.
Campaign for Survival and Dignity