There has been no action to punish those responsible for this brutal violation of adivasis’ constitutional rights. “Adivasis have warned the administration that they will intensify their struggle if these basic demands are not met. However, they are yet to hear from the state government. Villagers also require compensation for the loss of personal belongings. Moreover, they demanded immediate ration relief for the evicted families, left stranded during a pandemic. Among their demands, villagers have asked that the phones be returned and the forcibly signed papers be dismissed.Īdivasi demands and administrative inactionįor nearly a week now, surviving Adivasis have voiced the need for immediate compensation and action with regards to the crimes committed during the illegal eviction.Įnraged by the attack, villagers demanded the immediate arrest of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Charan Singh and other officials under the Prevention of Atrocities Act and other relevant provisions for supervising the wrongdoings that unfolded that day. Meanwhile, three phones were confiscated. The forest department took their signatures under Section 41 of the CrPC that allows arrest without warrant but did not hand over notices. The JADS said that the villagers have still not been informed about the details of these complaints although they were forced to sign blank papers. However, the administration has filed complaints against the detainees. Officials released the six people in light of the huge protest. When news of the mob attack spread, hundreds of Adivasis gathered for a massive sit-in outside Khandwa SP’s office. Villagers alleged that detained adivasis were tied with ropes. JADS has released a detailed list of property loss in their complaint letters to the Chief Minister, Forest Minister and Tribal Affairs Minister along with the district administration.Īlong with property loss, three Adivasis and three social activists were taken away to the Forest Development Corporation office for over 10 hours. They are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” said JADS in a press release. Another calf was killed during the destruction of homes. 63,800 in cash, a shop worth Rs 80,000, Rs.12,000 worth of jewellery, five cycles and four mobile phones and over 300 chickens, 16 goats and 1 calf. “Everything owned by these families was looted or destroyed - 130 quintals of food grains, Rs. This despite the fact that the mob already looted grain, cattle, money and household goods from the families. Working for the community, she said that villagers living in the ruins have suffered continued attacks for the last week. “The forest department has decided on its own that we are invading the land when in fact, under the Forest Rights Act, this land belongs to us," sadid Madhuri asking, "But regardless, what kind of government action is this to invite villagers from nearby villages to attack us?” Survivors said they did not receive any prior eviction notice.Īccording to people’s organisation Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS), the mob ransacked houses and destroyed fields by spraying poisonous chemicals. Speaking to Sabrang India, Adivasi leader Madhuri said that two villagers Mahesh and Ramlal suffered physical injuries during the attack. However, at the end of the day, the villagers suffered various atrocities such as looting of personal property, assault, abduction and illegal confinement by a mob comprising nearby villagers. On Saturday, the unassuming villagers of Negaon-Jamniya went about their everyday activities, assured by a month-old High Court order that barred demolition and eviction in their area until July 15. But, on Ja mob, allegedly supervised by police and forest officials, illegally evicted over 200 people with little concern for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic or the monsoon season. The destroyed settlement, now a mixture of rubble and dirt, is where once stood homes, and fields of crops. As many as 40 Adivasi families hailing from Bhil and Barela tribes in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh have spent the last six days roofless in the leftover ruins of their village.