Seven Adivasis, including three women, brutally attacked in South Gujarat: Protests planned on Foundation Day, May 1

By A Representative
In a gruesome incident, seven Adivasis, including three women, of Manekpur village of Bardoli taluka of South Gujarat were brutally attacked on Tuesday. All of them are members of the Adavasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha (AKSM), which has been fast expanding its wings among the Adivasis of South Gujarat districts.

The attack, says AKSM, is part of the ruling BJP's effort to cow down the Adivasis of the area, as they have decided to hold parallel protests against Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel. Patel will to bein the Adivasi town of Vyara for Gujarat foundation day function on May 1. An FIR has been filed against the alleged culprits, most of whom are allegedly BJP supporters.
Claiming that Bardoli BJP MLA Jitu Vasia is the "mastermind" of the attack on the AKSM workers, the organization's leader Romel Sutariya said, the attack took place late on Monday night after the supporters of the MLA broke into Adivasi houses and attacked seven of them -- Vanmalibhai Rathod, Rameshbhai Rathod, Natubhai Rathod, Keralbhai Rathod, Ushaben Rathod, Bhanuben Rathod, and Sumitraben Rathod.
"On learning that they have been attacked, AKSM workers immediately rushed to the spot and shifted them to Bardoli Sardar Smarak Hospital", Sutariya said, adding, "While all of them have been admitted in the hospital, Vanmalibhai Rathod is in the intensive care unit. I have personally talked with the district superintendent of police (SP) to take immediate action. I have been assured that the culprits will not be set free."

The poster which attacked police action against Sutariya, others

Earlier last week, several of AKSM's workers, including Sutariya, were were detained in Ahmedabad for a day after they tried to protest against the Gujarat government for failing to pay Rs 17 crore dues to Adivasi farmers who had sold their sugarcane to the sugar mills in South Gujarat. The police said, the AKSM protest took place the fact that the organization was "refused" permission to protest.
The arrests also happened as the AKSM put up posters in Ahmedabad which said the Gujarat chief minister was "missing", even as alleging failure of the state government to act to up sugarcane dues. Sutariya in a statement later described the day-long detention as "violation of the democratic rights, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution." The "missing" posters were also put up in Vyara, where May 1 functions have been proposed.
In his statement, Sutariya has denied the allegation that the AKSM is wedded to the Maoist ideology, saying, "I have been frequently asked by the police why did I visit Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. This is a strange question. I will go to every place where the oppressed are struggling for their rights."
He clarified, "However, we wish to clarify, we are wedded to continue our struggle through non-violent means, and there no question of adopting extra-constitutional method. We are proud that the Gujarat Foundation day ceremoney is taking place on May 1 in South Gujarat, but we have a democratic right to protest as well. We have decided to launch door-to-door campaign to protest against state government failures."

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Job opportunities decreasing, wages remain low: Delhi construction workers' plight

By Bharat Dogra* It was about 32 years back that a hut colony in posh Prashant Vihar area of Delhi was demolished. It was after a great struggle that the people evicted from here could get alternative plots that were not too far away from their earlier colony. Nirmana, an organization of construction workers, played an important role in helping the evicted people to get this alternative land. At that time it was a big relief to get this alternative land, even though the plots given to them were very small ones of 10X8 feet size. The people worked hard to construct new houses, often constructing two floors so that the family could be accommodated in the small plots. However a recent visit revealed that people are rather disheartened now by a number of adverse factors. They have not been given the proper allotment papers yet. There is still no sewer system here. They have to use public toilets constructed some distance away which can sometimes be quite messy. There is still no...

Rally in Patna: Non-farmer bodies to highlight plight of agriculture in Eastern India ahead of march to Parliament

P Sainath By A Representative Ahead of the march to Parliament on November 29-30, 2018, organized by over 210 farmer and agricultural worker organisations of the country demanding a 21-day special session of Parliament to deliberate on remedial measures for safeguarding the interest of farm, farmers and agricultural workers, a mass rally been organized for November 23, Gandhi Sangrahalaya (Gandhi Museum), Gandhi Maidan, Patna. Say the organizers, the Eastern region merits special attention, because, while crisis of farmers and agricultural workers in Western, Southern and Northern India has received some attention in the media and central legislature, the plight of those in the Eastern region of the country (Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Eastern UP) has remained on the margins. To be addressed by P Sainath, founder of People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), a statement issued ahead of the rally says, the Eastern India was the most prosperous regi...

India's health workers have no legal right for their protection, regrets NGO network

Counterview Desk In a letter to Union labour and employment minister Santosh Gangwar, the civil rights group Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), writing against the backdrop of strike by Bhabha hospital heath care workers, has insisted that they should be given “clear legal right for their protection”.

As 2024 draws nearer, threatening signs appear of more destructive wars

By Bharat Dogra The four years from 2020 to 2023 have been very difficult and high risk years for humanity. In the first two years there was a pandemic and such severe disruption of social and economic life that countless people have not yet recovered from its many-sided adverse impacts. In the next two years there were outbreaks of two very high-risk wars which have worldwide implications including escalation into much wider conflicts. In addition there were highly threatening signs of increasing possibility of other very destructive wars. As the year 2023 appears to be headed for ending on a very grim note, there are apprehensions about what the next year 2024 may bring, and there are several kinds of fears. However to come back to the year 2020 first, the pandemic harmed and threatened a very large number of people. No less harmful was the fear epidemic, the epidemic of increasing mental stress and the cruel disruption of the life and livelihoods particularly among the weaker s...

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

Counterview

Search This Blog