Chhattisgarh crackdown on anti-mine struggle meant to 'uproot' mass movements

Counterview Desk
The civil rights network, Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization's (FACAM)*, commenting on the recent arrests of two activists Tirumal Lakhma Koram and Ranu Podyam of the Modanaar Jan Andolan and Orcha Jan Andolan in Chhattisgarh, and the District Reserve Guard's crackdown on anti-mining struggle, has said that this is the latest in a "spate of brutal state repression" on the Adivasis.
Calling it a "concerted effort by the Indian state to uproot the ongoing mass movement against the corporate minings", it regretted, mining projects are being carried out "without the permission of the Gram Sabhas of the affected villages, which is mandated under the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA), 1996. Implementation of PESA is one of many demands of multiple ongoing mass movements..."

Text:

It has come to our notice that the leader of Mad Bachao Manch, Orcha (Orcha Jan Andolan) Tirumal Lakhma Koram and one Ranu Podyam were arrested by police forces of Rawghat Camp at around 4PM on 9th December 2023, when they were traveling back to Modanaar Jan Andolan and Orcha Jan Andolan, after attending Bechaghat movement anniversary event.
On 9th December 2023, Adivasi villagers of Kanker marked the 2nd anniversary of the Kanker’s Bechaghat movement against the construction of BSF camp and bridge, which was done without the consent of the Gram Sabhas.
Later that day around 5 pm, Narayanpur Police also arrested Tirumal Shankar Kashyap, President of Adivasi Adhikar Bachao Manch, (Banglapara – Modanaar Jan Andolan), along with another member, Tirumal Samlu Koram from Narayanpur.
It is pertinent to mention that a few days ago a brutal crackdown was unleashed by District Reserve Guards (DRG) on the Orcha Jan Andolan. We are witnessing a spate of brutal state repression in these Adivasi regions. These are to be identified as a concerted effort by the Indian state to uproot the ongoing mass movement against the corporate minings and unprecedented militarization through multiple paramilitary camps.
It is important to mention here that all these projects are being carried out without the permission of the Gram Sabhas of affected villages, which is mandated under the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA), 1996. Implementation of PESA is one of many demands of multiple ongoing mass movements in Bastar.

The objective of brutal crackdowns by corporate-state nexus is not hard to establish, which is to displace the indigenous people and intensify the loot of natural resources. Evidently, these are desperate attacks to isolate almost 40 mass movements in different regions of Bastar that are opposing rapacious corporate mining, para-military camps, fake encounters, fake surrenders and mass arrests.

Through these forced surrenders and mass arrests, the state is aiming to break the fighting resolve of the masses resisting corporate plunder. The targeted arrests of leadership of these movements is a well laid out strategy to render these movements leaderless and crush them under military boots.

The arrest of 8 leaders of Damkondawahi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (Surjagarh-Gadchiroli) and its continuation in Narayanpur and Kanker is a clear indication of this pattern unfolding, one after the other and often simultaneously.

This strategy to render movements leader-less and cadre-less is an intrinsic aspect of Operation Samadhan-Prahar, which strives to intensify plunder of our people’s resources and destruction of Jal-Jungle-Jameen.
The Forum against Corporatization and Militarization strongly condemns the arrest of Tirumal Lakhma Koram, Ranu Podyam, Tirumal Shankar Kashyap, Tirumal Samlu Koram and demands their unconditional release.
We also appeal to civil society members, democratic rights activists and organizations, students, professors, progressive democratic mass organizations, peasant and working-class organisations as well as all democratic and peace loving people to oppose these malicious attacks on the masses struggling for protection of country's resources and expose the corporate-state nexus of plunder.
---
*Constituents: All India Students Association (AISA), All India Revolution Students Organization (AIRSO), All India Revolutionary Women’s Organization (AIRWO), Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organization (BASO), Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM), Collective, Common Teachers Forum (CTF), Democratic Students Union (DSU), Mazdoor Adhikar Sanghathan (MAS), Nazariya Magazine, Progressive Lawyers Association (PLA), Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Vishwavidyalaya Chhatra Federation (VCF)

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog