The tribals are not happy with the stay order. They are demanding a complete withdrawal of the February 13 order.
Thousands of tribals walked down the streets of the capital on March 2, under the banners of Joint Adivasi Youth Forum and Indian Adivasi Forum, demanding that the Supreme Court withdraw the order that will lead to eviction of 2.26 lakh tribal families from their homes.
In an effort to control the damage done by the order, the Union government filed a plea before the apex court to modify it, following which the Supreme Court put a stay on the order, permitting the states to temporarily withhold the eviction of the tribal families. The next hearing is set for July 10. The tribals, however, are not happy with the stay order. They are demanding a complete withdrawal of the February 13 order.
Tribals across several states have called for Bharat Bandh to protest against a recent Supreme Court order that might lead to mass-scale evictions of tribal and forest-dwelling families. Among the demands being made is the demand for an immediate ordinance by the Modi government to correct the controversial eviction order of the Supreme Court delivered on February 13. The Congress, RJD, SP, AAP and Sharad Yadav’s party supported the bandh call. The order of the SC that was temporarily stayed a week later, after the Modi government was compelled to move the same bench for review had resulted in shock waves since it’s effect was that 1.3 million families living on forest lands, and nurturing them would have been evicted. Significantly, the case was heard for several years’ on a ‘PIL” filed by wildlife groups. Since the Modi regime came to power, the union government did not defend the Forest Rights Act of 2006 in the Court that empowers forest working peoples and Adivasis.
Tribals in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and other states in Northeast will lead the peaceful bandh on March 5. According to media reports, the agitators will demonstrate against the Supreme Court’s directive to evict more than 10 lakh indigenous people whose land claims were rejected.
While the strike and protest is planned across 16 states, Adivasi and Dalit groups have appealed to civil society and political activists to join them on a march in the capital from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar to press for the issue of the restoration of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. The attitude of the current regime and enforced by the SC ruling of February 13, 2019 in effect completely dilutes this emancipatory law. Dalits are also making a demand for the nullification of the 13 point roster system into colleges, universities and government institutions as it was, in effect restricting the representation of Dalits(SCs), STs and OBCs into these institutions. Adivasi Adhikari Andolan, All India Ambedkar Mahasabha and Samvidhan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti are at the forefront of this protest.
The All India Union of Forest Working People(AIUFWP) units across the country is already having many protests against the recent SC order and the government’s lukewarm attitude. These are as follows: On March 5, Tuesday at Sonbhadra, Chitrakoot, Lakhimpur khiri, Baharaich in Uttar Pradesh, on March 6 at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on March 9 through a press conference at Lucknow and on March 11 through a press conference in West Bengal.
The protesting Dalits and Adivasis and Forest Workers are demanding the restoration of the Forest Rights Act for protection of their rights. The Dalit groups are also joining in in this protest to support the tribals. The bandh will be a peaceful one in their respective places.
Maharashtra was the first state to order eviction orders of those living on forest dwellers within the one week that the SC delivered the order and thereafter temporarily stayed it. Both Maharashtra and Delhi are ruled by the same political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Jharkand has been erupting in protests on the issue of forest and land rights since February 20. In that state, the March for Forest and Land Rights (MFLR), 2019 or Jangal Zameen Adhikar Padyatra, 2019 was organized for a period of seven days, starting 20 February.
The tribals of Jharkhand have been protesting against the acquisition of their ancestral property, along with water, forest, and land in Ranchi. Because the government has neglected their demands, they have now decided to campaign on the streets.
They urged the two governments to reach an effective long-term solution to all pending bilateral issues through dialogue and diplomatic means without resorting to any tactical military operations.
The calls to de-escalate and ease the tension between India and Pakistan are rising from all over the world. Besides, students, concerned citizens, anti-nuclear activists, universities, trade unions and peace workers across the globe, the regional networks and organisations from South Asia also requested India and Pakistan to maintain the status quo recently after the last week’s escalation of tensions led to a dangerous impasse between the two countries. They urged the countries “to adopt maximum restraint and cease all hostilities to ensure peace in South Asia.”
“The reasons for the present escalation are well known, and we believe that such instances would recur, without dealing with the underlying causes. Pakistan is unable or unwilling to exercise effective control over armed non-state actors present in its territory that engage in terrorist activities in Afghanistan and India particularly in the Kashmir region. India is unwilling and unable to find a political solution to the conflict in Kashmir and has increased repression and persecution of the Kashmiri civilian population particularly in the last five years,” they said in their statement.
“The Indian government’s alleged triumphalism with a view to garner votes in the forthcoming general election has led to serious escalation after the suicide terror attack that killed 49 Indian troops in Kashmir on 14 February. We welcome the Pakistan Government’s release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the captured Indian pilot. Resorting to limited or unlimited war between the two countries will not contribute to finding a long-term and sustainable solution for the Jammu and Kashmir issue. We strongly urge the two governments to reach an effective long-term solution to all pending bilateral issues through dialogue and diplomatic means without resorting to any tactical military operations,” they said.
The statement was signed by South Asians for Human Rights, Women’s Regional Network, Asian Network for Free Elections, Civil Society and Human Rights Network, Afghanistan, Odhikar, Bangladesh, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh, Community Self Reliance Centre ( CSRC), Nepal, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society ( JKCCS), India, South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), Peoples Watch, India, Peoples Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Human Rights Alert, Manipur, India, Mahila Savangeen Utkarsha Mandal (MASUM), Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARK), National Commission for Peace and Justice ( NCJP), Pakistan and Bytes for all, Pakistan.
Missing officials rush to the spot, hold hearing late into the evening after CJP’s intervention
On March 1, 2019, close to 300 people were called to the Divisional Forest Office (DFO) in Biswanath District for hearing regarding their Claims applications for inclusion into the National Register of Citizens. However, when no official turned up to conduct the hearing, CJP stepped in and wrote to the NRC State Coordinator. Following this authorities were compelled to conduct the hearing.
The people who had gathered at the DFO at Biswanath Chairali had come from places as far as Gauhati (200 kms), Lakhimpur (100 kms) and Shiv Sagar (200 kms). They had all been instructed to appear for the hearing between 10 a.m and 11 a.m. However, when no officer turned up to conduct the hearing by even 1 p.m, we received a call on the CJP helpline 1800 300 250 78. This helpline had been set up by CJP to help the people of Assam with their queries and concerns with respect to the NRC Claims and Objections process.
“A Hindi speaking man, Mr. Singh, called us to apprise us of the situation and asked for our help. We immediately swung into action,” says Zamser Ali, CJP’s Assam State Team Coordinator. “I personally called NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela at least 10 times, but he did not receive my call. So I wrote to him on Whatsapp,” he added.
This is the letter that Zamser Ali wrote to Mr. Hajela: (Edited for clarity)
To, The State Co-ordinator, NRC Aschyut Plaza, G.S. Road, Guwahati
Sub: Absence of hearing officials
Dated: Guwahati, the 1st March, 2019
Respected Sir, With due humble submission, I have the honour to state following few words for your kind information and necessary prompt action.
1. That sir, many people, called for hearing regarding updation of NRC, are facing unnecessary trouble due to some condition cited in the notice served for hearing proposes. When the head of the family or holder of the Application Receipt Number (ARN) is attending the hearing, it is not necessary to ask all family members of the ARN holder to attend the hearing. Though when the notice is served for hearing purpose, attendance of all members has not been made compulsory, it is also not stated clearly, leading to confusion. Therefore, people attend hearings with the whole family, which is both, expensive and troublesome for the general people.
2. That sir, on many occasions, when people come to hearing fully prepared, they are asked to attend the hearing on another date as office verification reports of many documents, that were submitted earlier, couldn’t be completed. It has become undue harassment for the general public.
3. That sir, on many occasions, persons are called for hearing, but they have to return due to absence of officials deputed for hearing. Just today, a large number of people were called for hearing at DFO office, Biswanath Chariali under Biswanath District. But, no officials were present to conduct the hearing.
4. That sir, when one person is asked to attend on another date for hearing, nothing is given in writing to the claimants. It may be troublesome for the general public.
5. That Sir, in several places, many officials are rejecting claim applications due to minor discrepancies in the names, titles, ages etc. in different documents.
So, I on behalf of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) request your kind to take appropriate measures for an error free and inclusive NRC.
Thanking you Zamser Ali State Team Coordinator Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) on NRC works. Date: 01.03.2019
Mr. Ali sent the letter via Whatsapp to Mr. Hajela at 3 p.m. That’s when the administration was forced to take cognisance of the dire situation and officials were rushed to the spot. “The hearing finally began at about 4 p.m and went on till about 9 p.m,” says Ali. “It is only because CJP put pressure that the hearing was even conducted,” asserts Zamser Ali.
“CJP has been making several such interventions every day to keep the process moving and help maximum number of people through the tedious Claims and Objections process,” he elaborates. “We make interventions on both, personal and community levels. Our only hope is that the administration ensures that the process is smooth and does not add unnecessary hurdles or complications that adversely affect the common public,” he adds.
CJP urges you to call us on 1800 300 250 78 in case you face any difficulty with the Claims and Objections process, whether it is related to documentation, hearings or any other queries. He are here to help you.
These institutions are under tremendous strain at the moment. If we see how our External Affairs Ministry and Defense spokespersons are under tremendous pressure then we have to realise a fact that the Electronic media in India has become the biggest curse to our democracy and a powerful threat to our national integration.
Image Courtesy: PTI
In the 46th session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), external affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was invited and despite Pakistan’s protest and boycott, the invitation was not retracted. The speech on ‘pluralism’ by Sushma Swaraj was published and BJP’s ministers were quick to jump that this was a big turn around and a successful foreign policy initiative by the Prime Minister. They gave example that never in the history of Independent India, did we get an invitation from the OIC to speak. In fact, Mr Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad’s invitation was withdrawn at the last moment in 1969 at the insistence of Pakistan, thus creating an embarrassing condition for the host country that had invited him and then told him not to attend the summit.
Since then, India has not accorded OIC any importance but with the Modi government’s overdrive to score political points, India decided to send Ms Sushma Swaraj while Pakistan boycotted the preliminary session. Now, OIC has passed a resolution presented by Pakistan criticizing India. While it does not matter much, as OIC has been speaking this language for long, but the Indian position was always about ignoring it. Ironically, Pakistan has also been made the permanent member of OIC’s human rights body. The fact of the matter is that pluralism has never been the strength of OIC member countries, neither are they devoted to democracy and human rights. India’s strength was its strong secular credentials despite all its weaknesses of prejudices and biases. As constitutionally, we are not a theocratic country.
Today, India has power and the world listens to it and wants to embrace it. All this is not a single day’s work but the result of India’s growth story and the success of its institutions, which are now respected the world over. Globally, the Indian model of coexistence has been appreciated but today there is a worry about India and its secular character.
We always believed that political power is based on electoral calculations and institutions are there to balance things and implement rule of law to save us from collapse. These institutions are under tremendous strain at the moment. If we see how our External Affairs Ministry and Defense spokespersons are under tremendous pressure then we have to realise a fact that the Electronic media in India has become the biggest curse to our democracy and a powerful threat to our national integration. It has put enormous pressure on our armed forces and displayed all their actions for the public gaze. All their movements are being reported and discussed from dawn to dusk.
It refuses to accept that our ‘Faujis’ too are human beings who have family and children. In the din of their ‘bravery’, it creates an unimaginable strain to ‘succeed’ without understanding the dynamics of regions and tough on ground situations. While all those who join armed forces serve the nation with their head held high, as it is their job profile, they also have a human wish to live and love.
In the last few days, we have got a number of messages from the family members, particularly the wives of those who died on duty whether in war or handling local crisis. It is a well-known fact, given the nature of our society, that the biggest victims of war are children and women. Once the ‘josh’ has cooled and calmed, the bitter realities of lives take centre stage. We already know how after the Kargil war, a number of young women lost their husbands. Though the government tried to compensate for it through money to hide its own failure, the family crisis deepened. The crisis of losing a husband and losing a son. Now, it was women who were actually fighting each other. One seeking compensation for her son, while other for her husband. In many places, these issues came to the court.
This society is brutal. It does not allow a woman to grieve as the media is present all the time. If she remarries after some days, media jumps on the story and spins it to say that she married and left her ‘parents in law’ in the lurch. If she does not, life is still difficult for her. Many of the parents in law, want her to marry the younger son against her will and we all know keeping the compensation money in the family becomes a big issue.
As I said, Indian foreign policy is coming under tremendous strain. So is our social structure, unity and integrity in the country. Not many feel that Imran Khan has become a ‘peacenik’ because the power is still in the hands of the army and the agenda to make India bleed from many cuts remains the top of Pakistan’s military leadership. That is the historical crisis of the Pakistan elite. Though there was a time when many in India felt that military leadership was useful for negotiations with Pakistan and General Parvez Musharraf was the prime example for it, but the Agra summit between him and Vajpayee was foiled by Advani and hawks like him. Otherwise, we would have progressed more, particularly on Kashmir.
In the last four and a half years, this government did not act on the ground but through propaganda. It allowed the creation of extremely poor and divisive narratives related to Pakistan which focused on catering the Hindutva constituency and made little impact on Pakistan. The attacks on our security forces increased manifold during these years but the government and BJP leaders focused not on governance but on TV channels, resulting in us became a global laughing stock.
More than the government, it is these channels who have become a huge embarrassment for our security as well as foreign policy establishment. They feel that they are glorifying our forces but in fact, they are putting immense mental pressure through this warmongering. Pakistan actually won the perceptional war where hawks there felt that the Modi government was more suitable for their propaganda.
The drama played out by Pakistan with the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan was actually to preempt things and not allow the Indian side to score any points. It would still be appreciated if the armed forces dealt with the issue with sobriety and without giving the media much of a chance to convert it into a tamasha. I think it was a good strategy to not allow media access and platform to create another crisis. Since Pulwama, these fake warriors have been trying to create division and crisis for the benefit of their political patrons and TRPs. Like their patrons, they too want to go for a war without thinking of its consequences, as well as without letting our forces take their own decisions. This is dangerous and has to stop. India cannot afford to lose even the perceptional war.
Today, you need diplomacy to put pressure on countries which do not follow basic principles. A country like North Korea is now realizing the cost of international isolation and coming to the discussion table. There are numerous other ways. No country would survive if it remains isolated. Further, for India, it would be better to strengthen political movements in Pakistan as well as strengthen its secular constitutional values. If people of India face discrimination on the basis of their religion, caste identities or due to their regional identity, how are we going to counter the propaganda by others? It is a serious concern. If you exclude people and communities from the power structure and political process, you give potential ammunition to your opponents.
War takes you nowhere. It only brings destruction and no solution. We had so many of them and we are still fighting. We need to seriously engage with people in the political process and develop a culturally inclusive society.
You cannot keep the Kashmiri people out of the process to bring peace in South Asia or between India and Pakistan. Kashmir for Pakistan is its Islamic agenda and Indians want to prove their ‘secular’ and ‘democratic’ credentials. It is important to first bring normalcy in the valley by strengthening institutions of governance and involving political parties and civil society organizations. There is no other way than talks, talks and talks. These are political issues which can be resolved through negotiations and an open heart. Once we have done so, it would be easier to convince the world that Pakistan needs to act against the Islamic terror organizations.
It will be equally important for the Indian government to act against the venom spewing channels as well as the organizations campaigning against minorities in general and Muslims in particular. You cannot win the war by deliberately excluding and marginalizing nearly 15% of your population. It is time to put this to an end to this and strengthen the idea of an inclusive India which alone can and will defeat all those forces trying to destabilize us.
Chandrashekhar Azad led Bhim Army is organizing a protest rally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on March 15 to express Bahujan resentment for tribal evictions and the 13 point roster. Addressing the rally, Azad will take aim at the govt’s inaction and unwillingness to address the concerns of the community.
The Bahujan community has been angry with the central government’s inaction and collusion over stripping and diluting the SC/ST/OBC reservations. After the Supreme Court ordered the eviction of tribals from forest lands on Feb 13, there have been many protest rallies across the nation. The forest-dwelling Adivasi communities have been demanding their rights over water, forests and land. The move to erase SC/ST/ OBC representation in universities is taking full force due to the 13 point roster. The Bahujan community has been organizing and facing obstacles in voicing their sentiments ever since their rights have come under the scanner. Bhim Army is again engaging at the grassroots level to pressurize the centre to keep Bahujan sentiments at the fore of their policies.
Chandrashekhar Azad led Bhim Army is organizing a ‘Bahujan Hunkar rally’ at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on March 15 to express Bahujan resentment for tribal evictions and the 13 point roster. Addressing the rally, Azad will take aim at the govt’s inaction and unwillingness to address the concerns of the community.
He will demand the restoration of the 200 point roster, a stay on the eviction of tribals and release of youths arrested under NSA on April 2. Bhim army has urged all its social activists to organize, unite and make the rally a success for future generations.
Azad addressed a rally in Roorkee, Uttarakhand on Feb 23, 2019.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had issued a letter accusing the channel of falsely accusing the Jamaat-e-Islami India chief Maulana Jalaluddin Umri of being a terrorist.
New Delhi: Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV issues a corrigendum and apology on Sunday for hurting the sentiments of Muslims with a provocative and biased report.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had issued a letter accusing the channel of falsely accusing the Jamaat-e-Islami India chief Maulana Jalaluddin Umri of being a terrorist.
Taking exception to the channel’s ‘mischief,’ several Muslim groups including All India Muslim Personal Law Board wrote a letter to the channel condemning its act and demanding an immediate apology.
Realizing the consequences of reporting fake news, Republic TV apologized and released a statement on Sunday.
“CORRIGENDUM & APOLOGY for taking a wrong image of Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri carried on Republic TV at 4:03 PM. It was an inadvertent error, the video editor concerned carried the wrong image which was wrongly broadcast once & immediately corrected,” their tweet read.
A primetime apology is yet to be issued by Republic TV.
While posting its letter, the AIMPLB wrote, “We strongly condemn @republic channel for falsely accusing Ml Jalaluddin Umri, the vice president of @AIMPLB_Official, of being a terrorist. We also condemn @CNNnews18. It has committed blasphemy against Madjids in Mecca, Madina and Quds. Both channels must apologize.”
The letter by the AIMPLB also condemned CNN-News18 for committing ‘blasphemy’ by linking three of the holiest sites for Muslims to Jaish chief Masood Azhar’s ‘terror factory.’
The channel used the images of the three holy mosques with a super titled ‘JeM terror factories,’ outraging Muslims across the world. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group owns CNN-News18.
In its broadcast on Saturday, the channel claimed to unearth the property details of Jaish chief Masood Azhar, the man behind the Pulwama terror attack. While flashing the headlines ‘JeM terror factory in Bahawalpur,’ the channel showed the photos of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, a mosque in Madina and Al-Aqsa implying that they were part of Azhar’s terror factory. These mosques are considered to be the three of the holiest sites for Muslims around the world, Janta Ka Reporter said in its report.
Responding with their clarification, CNN-News18 said in a tweet that the images were used by JeM in their propaganda video and they had the JeM watermark on them so the ire should be directed at JeM.
The statement by CNN-News18 defended its decision to broadcast the three most revered mosques (Makkah, Madina and Al-Aqsa) for Muslims under the ‘JeM terror factory’ headline.
The statement said that any criticism should be directed at the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) since the channel had sourced the images of the Holy mosques from the outfits’ propaganda video.
The statement said, “The footage used in our broadcast is clearly watermarked with a JeM logo and was clearly referred to as a propaganda video. The use of the video has drawn ire from certain quarters. But given the context it was used, any religious offence and outrage should be directed at the JeM.”
Many on social media felt that a clarification instead of an apology was not enough as they should have not broadcast sensitive material irresponsibly.
Listen to this conversation with my adivasi friends in Bundelkhand and you will realise how the senior officials of the forest department as well as political parties duped them over the years. How they have become victim of the government categorisation to deny them their legitimate rights. Important for those who want to understand how things are denied at the ground.
