The protesting villagers handed over a memorandum to the SDM, addressed to the President, Governor, Chief Minister, Forest Minister, Bastar MP, and local MLA. The memorandum demands that the process of displacing tribals from the core area of the Indravati Tiger Reserve be stopped.
The villagers said that they have been protecting their ancestral land, forests, and traditions for generations, and will not give them up. They are living in the forest, following the PESA Act, and will not leave their land.
The protest was attended by Sarpanch Wasam Shashikala, Gotra Ellubai, Vacham Sarita, Sukna Kaware, Janpad member Kuma Samibai, former Sarpanch Michcha Samaiya, Zilla Panchayat member Basant Rao Tati, Michcha Mutaiya, Ashok Mada, tribal leader Jaggu Telam, Ashok Talandi, Afzal Khan, Kantiyaya, Kameshwar Rao Gautam, and many other villagers.
This is not the first time the villagers have protested. In the 1990s, they had staged a month-long protest against displacement, which had forced the authorities to stop the process. The main demands of the protesters are:
The displacement or rehabilitation of 76 villages in the core area of the Indravati Tiger Reserve should not be carried out. The fifth and sixth schedules of the Constitution should be fully implemented, and the process of giving land to corporate companies should be stopped.
The tribals’ land should be protected, and they should not be displaced in the name of development. The Bacheli-Gadchiroli rail project, which affects the tribals’ traditions, should be scrapped. In 1995-96, the villagers had staged a month-long protest against displacement, which had forced the authorities to stop the process. The villagers are again protesting against the proposed rehabilitation.
The protesting villagers had walked 90 kilometers to reach the tehsil office and submit their memorandum.
