South Gujarat tribal activist "picked up, detained" under PASA, taken to Rajkot, ahead of planned protest

Jayram Gamit

By Our Representative
Reports from the tribal belt of South Gujarat have said that a senior tribal farmers' leader, Jayram Gamit, has been "mysteriously picked up” by the cops from Tapi district under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA Act) ahead of a major protest the organization he and another senior activist, Romel Sutariya, lead were going to launch and the land mafia. Talking with Counterview from Chhotaudepur, Sutariya said, the district collector, Ranjeet Kumar, was under “tremendous pressure” from the local ruling party politicians to arrest Gamit following their campaign against efforts to hand over large tracts of tribal land to land tribals, particularly those who were mining the area surrounding the river.
“Soon after his arrest, Gamit was taken to Rajkot”, Sutariya said, adding, “Gamit was arrested despite the fact that during the last Lok Sabha polls he campaigned for the BJP. Despite his alignment with the ruling party, he kept fighting for the rights of the tribal people, which became the major reason for his detention and arrest under PASA. The arrest has taken place following a forest department's complaint to the police.” There is no word so far from the Gujarat authorities about the arrest.
This is not for the first time that protesting activists in Gujarat are being picked as part of the "preventive" measure to stop any protests. Even those who do not plan protests are "picked up" when senior government functionary such as the chief minister visits an area. They are often put under house arrest or are detained (click HERE to read) ahead of apprehensions of protest. However, this is the first time in the recent past that an arrest has taken place under PASA, considered "draconian" by activists, and meant to be used against anti-social elements seeking to create disturbance.
Calling the arrest “largely political”, Sutariya said, “Gamit was a key factor in Tapi and Chhotaudepur districts for BJP leaders during the campaign in the last Lok Sabha elections. After he stopped working with the party recently and began fighting for tribal rights, the party began to pressure him. After repeated efforts to rope him in failed, this is the tactic they have finally adopted to cow him down. It is difficult to understand why was he was taken to Rajkot.”

In a statement, the Adivasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha (AKSM), which Sutariya heads, called the arrest “anti-constitutional and unprovoked”. The statement said, “Sutariya and Gamit were fighting for the tribal farmers' constitutional rights for the last few years in South and Central Gujarat. The arrest is part of the conspiracy to break the leadership and pressure Gamit to dissociate himself from the struggle. The conspiracy has been going on for quite some time, after he left working for the BJP.”
The arrest, said the statement, follows a notice issued by a Forest Rights Committee to the district collector the district forest officer last week, asking them why legal action should not be initiated against them following diversion of tribal land to non-tribals, which violates the Forest Rights Act. “The arrest of Gamit is in line with putting Sutariya under house arrest during chief minister Anandiben Patel's visit to Chhotaudepur apprehending protest”, it added.
The arrest has taken place ahead of the decision by Sutariya and Gamit to sit on indefinite fast, starting on February 2, in front of the Chotaudepur district headquarters in order to “highlight” the tribals' plight. Believes AKSM, it is in line with Modi government's effort to deprive the tribals of their natural resources. Warning against the arrest, the AKSM said, “We are going to begin a strong protest against the Gujarat government's authoritarian move. Among others, the All-India Forest Workers' Union's Roma Malik and Ashok Da have supported us.”

Comments

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat." In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

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.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi* The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the 2050 net zero commitments , a new study released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman* It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

'State-sanctioned terror': Stop drone attack on Adivasis, urge over 80 world academics

Counterview Desk A joint statement, “Indigenous Peoples’ Un-Freedoms and Our Academic Freedom: A Call for Solidarity”, endorsed by over 80 signatories, including international academics, activists and civil society organizations, as well as diasporic Indian academics and researchers, working with Adivasi (indigenous) communities in India, has made an urgent appeal to prevent future drone bomb attacks by the Indian state on Adivasi villages.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.

Search This Blog