Skip to main content
Sabrang
Sabrang
India Dalit Bahujan Adivasi

Forest officials allegedly harass, intimidate Adivasis in Chitrakoot 

Public officials are allegedly not only forcefully evicting Adivasis from forest land, but also digging up their farm land, cutting off their access to the land, thus affecting their livelihood 

Sabrangindia 14 Jul 2020

Adivasi
Representation Image        Courtesy: Paul Salopek


Forest officials in the Manikpur area of Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh are allegedly engaging in multiple illegal methods of keeping Adivasis away from forest lands. Such incidents have unfortunately become rather common in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where several instances of officials allegedly resorting to brutality and threats to intimidate Adivasis have recently come to light. This is also significant because the harassment and intimidation come in wake of Adivasis filing community claims to forest land in line with their rights enshrined in the Forest Rights Act 2006. 

Chitrakoot district has vast tracts of forest land that are not only home to, but also a source of livelihood for Adivasis, other forest dwelling communities and forest workers. Most of these people hail from economically weak backgrounds and depend on forest produce and forest land to sustain themselves and earn a decent living.

Instances of intimidation, harassment and abuse have been reported from Adivasis in villages like Unchdih, Gopipur, Ranipur, Nagar and Kihuniya. They are allegedly being prevented by forest officials from tilling their lands. When they object to these acts and stake their claim, they are allegedly threatened with the prospect of false cases and arrest. In Unchdih, the officials have dug up holes in Adivasi farms and have planted saplings there instead. In Gopipur, land belonging to Gram Panchayat has also been dug up. Further, in other villages such as Ranipur, Kihuniya the adivasis are being evicted from their homes and are not being allowed to cultivate land.

These unwarranted acts of forceful evictions of such vulnerable sections of society are condemnable and also amount to infringement of the basic fundamental right of right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution as well as violative of provisions of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Further they also go against the Supreme Court order of February 2019 staying evictions of all forest dwellers from their lands in Wildlife First vs. Union of India in IA No. 35782/2019.

Despite legal provisions and court decisions being in favour of the Adivasis or forest dwellers, public officials have been defying them and are acting in complete disregard of even humanitarian concerns when the country is reeling under the Covid-19 pandemic. To bring these incidents to the cognizance of UP government, All Indian Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), a partner organisation with Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), has written a letter dated July 8, to the Chief Minister, Ministers of Social Welfare as well as Forests, Chief Secretaries of Social Welfare and Forest Departments as well as the Deputy Collector of Chitrakoot District. AIUFWP has been working for the welfare of such forest dwelling communities by ensuring their voices are heard by the government and assisting them in staking claim to their rights which have been recognised under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

The growing incidents of harassment of adivasis has become a matter of concern. Several instances have come to light where members of forest dwelling communities have been allegedly threatened, attacked, assaulted and abused by forest officials, often in alleged complicity with the police. 

An incident of land grabbing took place in late June in Lilasi village Muirpur of Sonbhadra district, UP where a businessman allegedly illegally usurped forest land and started construction of a house and a shop on that land. When Adivasi villagers reached the spot to talk to him, his hired goons allegedly issued death threats to Adivasis and chased them away.

Some of these incidents that go beyond humanitarian standards have been brought to the notice of the National human Rights Commission (NHRC) by CJP and AIUFWP. 

In one incident, forest officials in Uttar Pradesh allegedly attacked and even molested Adivasi women belonging to the Tharu tribe, in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in broad daylight, while in another incident Van Gujjars of Rajaji National Park, Dehradun were beaten up, their shelters were destroyed. They were arrested on trumped up charges and were allegedly even tortured in custody. A woman member of the community was also allegedly subjected to gendered violence in custody. Such escalated incidents of injustice against India's indigenous people are on the rise and need urgent attention of concerned authorities.

The letter may be read here.

Related:

UP Adivasis oppose land grab attempt, get death threats
CJP moves NHRC against police and forest officials in Dehradun for assaulting tribals
Adivasi women attacked in UP, CJP-AIUFWP move NHRC
Assault on Tharu women prompts FIR but forest officials flex muscles in UP
Van Gujjar Mustafa Chopra and grandsons secure bail

Forest officials allegedly harass, intimidate Adivasis in Chitrakoot 

Public officials are allegedly not only forcefully evicting Adivasis from forest land, but also digging up their farm land, cutting off their access to the land, thus affecting their livelihood 

Adivasi
Representation Image        Courtesy: Paul Salopek


Forest officials in the Manikpur area of Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh are allegedly engaging in multiple illegal methods of keeping Adivasis away from forest lands. Such incidents have unfortunately become rather common in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where several instances of officials allegedly resorting to brutality and threats to intimidate Adivasis have recently come to light. This is also significant because the harassment and intimidation come in wake of Adivasis filing community claims to forest land in line with their rights enshrined in the Forest Rights Act 2006. 

Chitrakoot district has vast tracts of forest land that are not only home to, but also a source of livelihood for Adivasis, other forest dwelling communities and forest workers. Most of these people hail from economically weak backgrounds and depend on forest produce and forest land to sustain themselves and earn a decent living.

Instances of intimidation, harassment and abuse have been reported from Adivasis in villages like Unchdih, Gopipur, Ranipur, Nagar and Kihuniya. They are allegedly being prevented by forest officials from tilling their lands. When they object to these acts and stake their claim, they are allegedly threatened with the prospect of false cases and arrest. In Unchdih, the officials have dug up holes in Adivasi farms and have planted saplings there instead. In Gopipur, land belonging to Gram Panchayat has also been dug up. Further, in other villages such as Ranipur, Kihuniya the adivasis are being evicted from their homes and are not being allowed to cultivate land.

These unwarranted acts of forceful evictions of such vulnerable sections of society are condemnable and also amount to infringement of the basic fundamental right of right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution as well as violative of provisions of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Further they also go against the Supreme Court order of February 2019 staying evictions of all forest dwellers from their lands in Wildlife First vs. Union of India in IA No. 35782/2019.

Despite legal provisions and court decisions being in favour of the Adivasis or forest dwellers, public officials have been defying them and are acting in complete disregard of even humanitarian concerns when the country is reeling under the Covid-19 pandemic. To bring these incidents to the cognizance of UP government, All Indian Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), a partner organisation with Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), has written a letter dated July 8, to the Chief Minister, Ministers of Social Welfare as well as Forests, Chief Secretaries of Social Welfare and Forest Departments as well as the Deputy Collector of Chitrakoot District. AIUFWP has been working for the welfare of such forest dwelling communities by ensuring their voices are heard by the government and assisting them in staking claim to their rights which have been recognised under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

The growing incidents of harassment of adivasis has become a matter of concern. Several instances have come to light where members of forest dwelling communities have been allegedly threatened, attacked, assaulted and abused by forest officials, often in alleged complicity with the police. 

An incident of land grabbing took place in late June in Lilasi village Muirpur of Sonbhadra district, UP where a businessman allegedly illegally usurped forest land and started construction of a house and a shop on that land. When Adivasi villagers reached the spot to talk to him, his hired goons allegedly issued death threats to Adivasis and chased them away.

Some of these incidents that go beyond humanitarian standards have been brought to the notice of the National human Rights Commission (NHRC) by CJP and AIUFWP. 

In one incident, forest officials in Uttar Pradesh allegedly attacked and even molested Adivasi women belonging to the Tharu tribe, in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in broad daylight, while in another incident Van Gujjars of Rajaji National Park, Dehradun were beaten up, their shelters were destroyed. They were arrested on trumped up charges and were allegedly even tortured in custody. A woman member of the community was also allegedly subjected to gendered violence in custody. Such escalated incidents of injustice against India's indigenous people are on the rise and need urgent attention of concerned authorities.

The letter may be read here.

Related:

UP Adivasis oppose land grab attempt, get death threats
CJP moves NHRC against police and forest officials in Dehradun for assaulting tribals
Adivasi women attacked in UP, CJP-AIUFWP move NHRC
Assault on Tharu women prompts FIR but forest officials flex muscles in UP
Van Gujjar Mustafa Chopra and grandsons secure bail

Related Articles

Hate Speech

Hate a political tool, now a state project: India 2023

There is a chance to make Meta Facebook accountable for its hate generating content on May 31, by voting YES for Proposal 7 titled “Assessing Allegations of Biased Operations in Meta's Largest Market” which is to be presented at Meta's AGM on May 31, 2023. It highlights allegations against Facebook for disseminating hate speech, its failure to address risks and political bias, voices concerns around inadequate content moderation and lack of transparency in platform practices. The writer calls on readers to participate in this campaign on social media to make our republic hate-free

Hate Speech

Hate a political tool, now a state project: India 2023

There is a chance to make Meta Facebook accountable for its hate generating content on May 31, by voting YES for Proposal 7 titled “Assessing Allegations of Biased Operations in Meta's Largest Market” which is to be presented at Meta's AGM on May 31, 2023. It highlights allegations against Facebook for disseminating hate speech, its failure to address risks and political bias, voices concerns around inadequate content moderation and lack of transparency in platform practices. The writer calls on readers to participate in this campaign on social media to make our republic hate-free


Sunday

03

Jan

Pan-India

Saturday

05

Dec

05 pm onwards

Rise in Rage!

North Gate, JNU campus

Thursday

26

Nov

10 am onwards

Delhi Chalo

Pan India

Theme

Stop Hate

Hate and Harmony in 2021

A recap of all that transpired across India in terms of hate speech and even outright hate crimes, as well as the persecution of those who dared to speak up against hate. This disturbing harvest of hate should now push us to do more to forge harmony.
Taliban 2021

Taliban in Afghanistan: A look back

Communalism Combat had taken a deep dive into the lives of people of Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Here we reproduce some of our archives documenting the plight of hapless Afghanis, especially women, who suffered the most under the hardline regime.
2020

Milestones 2020

In the year devastated by the Covid 19 Pandemic, India witnessed apathy against some of its most marginalised people and vilification of dissenters by powerful state and non state actors. As 2020 draws to a close, and hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers continue their protest in the bitter North Indian cold. Read how Indians resisted all attempts to snatch away fundamental and constitutional freedoms.
Migrant Diaries

Migrant Diaries

The 2020 COVID pandemic brought to fore the dismal lives that our migrant workers lead. Read these heartbreaking stories of how they lived before the pandemic, how the lockdown changed their lives and what they’re doing now.

Campaigns

Sunday

03

Jan

Pan-India

Saturday

05

Dec

05 pm onwards

Rise in Rage!

North Gate, JNU campus

Thursday

26

Nov

10 am onwards

Delhi Chalo

Pan India

Videos

Communalism

Bastar violence: Anti-Christian Campaign causes breach in Adivasi unity

Hundreds of Adivasi church-goers across villages in Narayanpur and Bastar, Chhattisgarh have been experiencing boycott, intimidation and violence since December last year, forcing them to leave their homes and live in refugee camps. Reportedly, Adivasi districts across Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh is seeing a rise Hindutva mobilisation against Christians .

Communalism

Bastar violence: Anti-Christian Campaign causes breach in Adivasi unity

Hundreds of Adivasi church-goers across villages in Narayanpur and Bastar, Chhattisgarh have been experiencing boycott, intimidation and violence since December last year, forcing them to leave their homes and live in refugee camps. Reportedly, Adivasi districts across Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh is seeing a rise Hindutva mobilisation against Christians .

IN FACT

Analysis

Stop Hate

Hate and Harmony in 2021

A recap of all that transpired across India in terms of hate speech and even outright hate crimes, as well as the persecution of those who dared to speak up against hate. This disturbing harvest of hate should now push us to do more to forge harmony.
Taliban 2021

Taliban in Afghanistan: A look back

Communalism Combat had taken a deep dive into the lives of people of Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Here we reproduce some of our archives documenting the plight of hapless Afghanis, especially women, who suffered the most under the hardline regime.
2020

Milestones 2020

In the year devastated by the Covid 19 Pandemic, India witnessed apathy against some of its most marginalised people and vilification of dissenters by powerful state and non state actors. As 2020 draws to a close, and hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers continue their protest in the bitter North Indian cold. Read how Indians resisted all attempts to snatch away fundamental and constitutional freedoms.
Migrant Diaries

Migrant Diaries

The 2020 COVID pandemic brought to fore the dismal lives that our migrant workers lead. Read these heartbreaking stories of how they lived before the pandemic, how the lockdown changed their lives and what they’re doing now.

Archives