More than 100 adivasi and forest dwellers’ organisations call upon the Central and State governments to do their constitutional duty and defend people’s rights
(Asian independent) An upcoming Supreme Court hearing may again result in eviction orders against millions of people – people whose rights have been illegally denied. We call upon the Central and State governments to defend the rights of India’s tribals and forest dwellers and to stop trying to use court orders, internal sabotage and blatant illegality against our country’s most oppressed people.
On April 2nd, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case Wildlife First and Ors. vs Union of India and Ors. (WP 109/2008). This case is a challenge to the constitutionality of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, a law that was passed after a nationwide movement demanding that the rights of traditional forest dwelling communities – mostly adivasis – be recognised. The law sought to correct what it called the “historic injustice” created by India’s forest laws – inherited from the British, these laws have reduced crores of people to destitution by arbitrarily declaring government forests and treating forest dwellers as “encroachers” in their homelands and in the very forests they had often fought to protect. But the law has been grossly violated by both the Central and the state governments and huge numbers of claims for rights have been illegally rejected.
In 2019, after a one sided hearing in which the Central government failed to defend the law, the Supreme Court had ordered eviction of rejected claimants. This would have meant seventeen lakh claimant families facing evictions. After nationwide protests the Court put its order on hold and asked for a review of rejections. But in the years since the Central government never tried to take this process seriously – and either no review was done or haphazard, arbitrary reviews resulted in rejections being repeated.
Now, on April 2nd, the retired forest officials and wildlife NGO behind this case want to ask for eviction of lakhs of families again. They also are targeting the law’s strongest and most pro-conservation provisions – the ones that entitle communities to protect their own forests. They want this power and the power to recognise rights to be vested with unaccountable forest officials.
We remind the Central and state governments of their duty to the forest dwelling peoples of this country. In particular, we call upon the Central government to defend this law in court and to cease its approach – reflected in multiple laws and policies – of enabling forest bureaucrats and large corporations to deny the rights of tribals and forest dwellers. We demand that the Central government ensure this misguided case is dismissed and that both it and all state governments recognise the rights of forest dwellers to their lands and to manage and protect forests, as required by the Forest Rights Act.
Campaign for Survival and Dignity
Adivasi Adhikaar Rashtriya Manch (Comrade Pulin Bhaske – National Convenor )
Adivasi Bharat Mahasabha (ABM) / National Adivasi Wing, CPI (ML)
Gondwana Gantantatra Party (Tuleswar Markaam- National President)
Adivasi Women’s Network
National Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (Shri Hiralal Alawa, (MLA), Founder)
Indigenous Women India Network
Aadim Adhivasi Mukti Manch, Nayagarh, Odisha
Aadivasi Mahila Mahasangh, Jashpur, Chattisgarh
Adivasi Adhikar Sangh , Katni (Bharat Namdev), M.P.
Adivasi Chetana Sangathan, Dhenkanal, Odisha.
Adivasi Ekta Parishad, Madhya Pradesh
Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha, Kerala
Adivasi Jan Van Adhikar Manch (Ajwam), Chhattisgarh
Adivasi Jungle Janjeevan Andolan (Dadra and Nagar Haveli)
Adivasi Kranti Sangathan, Odisha
Adivasi Mahasabha Gujarat
Adivasi Mukti Sangathan, Dhenkanal, Odisha.
Adivasi Mukti Sangathan, MP
Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha CPI (Liberation)(Devki Nandan Vedia, National President)
Andhra Pradesh Adivasi Joint Action Committee , AP (Ramarao Dora- Convenor)
Baga janjati Mahasangh M.P. (Ravi Baga)
Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Association, Madhya Pradesh
Basniya Dam Project, Farmers’ Struggle Front, Mandla, M.P. (Bazari Sarvate)
Bastariya Raj Morcha, Chhattisgarh (Manish Kunjam, Founder)
Bharia Adivasi Foundation, Madhya Pradesh (Ashok Kumar Marko – President)
Birsa Brigade, Madhya Pradesh
Bisra Munda Adivasi Sangharsh Manch, Keonjhar, Odisha
Bundelkhand Jeevika Sangathan, Uttar Pradesh
Bundelkhand Majdoor Kisaan Shakti Sangathan, Damoh , MP.
Campaign for Survival and Dignity, Odissa
Campaign for Survival and Dignity, Tamil Nadu
Chattisgarh Bachao Andolan, Chattisgarh
Chetna Andolan, Uttarakhand
Chhattisgarh Forest Rights Forum, Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha Korba, Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh Tribal Welfare Institute, Raipur (Sonu Ram Netam- President)
Chutka Anti-Nuclear Struggle Committee, Madhya Pradesh
Citizen Rights Forum, Jabalpur (Shiv Kumar)
Dalit Aadivsi Manch, Chhattisgarh
Dalit Adivasi Manch, Chhattisgarh
Forest Rights Coalition- Jammu and Kashmir (Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool)
Gaavn Ganraaj (Republic) Sangathan, Sarguja, Chattisgarh
Gondwana Gond Mahasabha, Chhattisgarh
Gram Sabha Sangh, Jagdalpur – Bastar, Chhattisgarh
Gram Vikas Tribal Organization, Mohender Panna M.P. (Nabi Khan)
Gyan Sagar Chhattisgarh Sarvangin Vikas Sangathan, Chhattisgarh
Hamara Adhikaar Campaign, Rewa M.P. (Jagdish Yadav)
Health Rights Forum, Madhya Pradesh
Himachal Ghumantu Pashupalak Mahasabha, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Van Adhikaar Manch, Himachal Pradesh
Himdhara Environmental Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh
Him Lok Jagrati Manch, Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh (President – R.S Negi)
Human Rights Forum (Poonaram Bhai) Seoni, M.P.
Hum Kisan Sangathan
Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, Madhya Pradesh
Jagrut Kashtakari Sanghatana, MH
Jal Jangal Jameen Sajha Manch, M.P. (Gajanand Brahmane)
Jan Sangharsh Morcha Mahakoshal, M.P. (Vivek Pawar)
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India, Madhya Pradesh
Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, Jharkhand
Jungle Jeevan Bachao Samiti, Chhattisgarh
Kashtakari Jan Andolan
Kashtakari Sanghatana, MH
Kendriya Jan Sangharsh Samiti, Latehar-Gumla, Jharkhand
Khedut Mazdoor Chetna Sangathan
Khetihar Khan Mazdoor Sangathan
Koitur Gondwana Mahasabha, Ghansor, Seoni (Shobha Maravi), M.P.
Land Rights Campaign, M.P. (Rahul Shrivastav)
Lok Mukti Sangathan, Jhasugarda, Odissa
Mahakoshal Sajha Janpahal, M.P.
Maharashtra Naisargik Sansadhan Hakkdharak Sangathan, Mahrashtra
Malygiri Adivasi Sangharsh Manch, Angul, Odisha.
Moolnivasi Hitkari Sangathan, Nayagarh, Odishsa
Naga Baiga Naga Baigin Janshakti Sangathan, Chattisgarh
Prakriti Bachao O Adivasi Bachao Mancha, West- Bengal(South)
Prakriti Seva Sansthan, Madhya Pradesh (Pritam Das Khairwar, Rajendra Saiyam)
Raghavpur Power Project, Farmers’ Struggle Front, Dindori, M.P. (Omkar Tilgam)
Rajasthan Adivasi Adhikar Manch, Udaipur.
Rajasthan Gramsabha Van Adhikar Sanghathan, Rajasthan
Roodhi Pratha Adivasi Paramparik Gram Sabha, Madhya Pradesh (Mahendra Singh Paraste – District Coordinator)
Sahariya Jangabndhan Sajag (Rambati Sahariya Kolaras) Shivpuri, M.P.
Sarva Adivasi Samaj, Chhattisgarh
Sarva Adivasi Samaj Sangathan, Madhya Pradesh (Hari Singh Marawi – State Secretary)
Sarvahara Jan Andolan, MH
Save Land Save Life Campaign, Madhya Pradesh
Save Life Campaign, Madhya Pradesh
Shoshit Jan Andolan, MH
Shramik Kranti Sanghatana, MH
Shramik Mukti Sanghatana , Maharashtra
Silicosis Peedit Sangh, Madhya Pradesh
Similipal Adivasi Sangharsh Manch, Mayurbhanj, Odisha.
Tamil Nadu Pazhangudi Makkal Sangham, Tamil Nadu
Toko, Roko, Thoko Krantikaari Morcha , Seedhi, Madhya Pradesh
Upper Namrada Project, Farmers’ Struggle Front, Anuppur, Dindori, M.P. (Kamal Patta)
Uttar Banga Van-Jan Shramajibi Mancha, West- Bengal(North)
Vananchal Forest Rights Federation, Chhattisgarh
Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sangathan, Uttarakhand
Vistapit Mukti Vahini, Jharkhand
ZAYAS M.P. (Shyam Kumari Dhurve)
Zila Kisaan Sangha, Raajnaadgaanv, Chaatisgarh
Zila Van Adhikar Sangarsh Samiti Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh (President- Ziya Lal Negi)
Zindabaad Sangathan , Balangir, Odissa
