Govt of India terms Green Nobel prize winner Samanata-inspired tribal rights body "Maoist affiliate", invites ire

By A Representative
In a shocking revelation, the Annual Report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, for the year 2016-17 has qualified the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS), which has been working under the guidance of one of the topmost tribal rights activists, Prafulla Samantara, a “Maoist affiliate.”
The MHA allegation has come to light even as Samantara, known for his Gandhian methods of agitation, has been awarded what is called Green Nobel – the Goldman Environmental Prize for 2017 for Asia, for his 12-year-long legal battle for Odisha's indigenous Dongria Kondh community’s forest and land rights in Niamgiri hills. Samantara won the battle, forcing British MNC Vedanta to abandon its plans to mine the hills.
Another organization MHA has been termed “Maoist-affiliate” is Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan (VVJVA) of Jharkhand, an umbrella of 30 organizations across the state protesting against displacement of villagers because of corporate, including multinational, investment in tribal regions.
MHA’s 372-page 2016-17 Annual Report says, "In 2016, the issue of displacement of local communities remained the main plank of mobilization by the mass organisations”, accusing NSS for guiding agitations in Niyamgiri Hills area in the districts of Rayagada and Kalahandi, Odisha.
“Similarly”, says MHA, “in Jharkhand the VVJVA, a front of the CPI (Maoist), tried to take up pro-tribal issues and opposed amendments to the Chhotanagpur and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Acts, modifications in Domicile Policy etc.”
MHA adds, “Maoist affiliates also undertook protest programmes and resorted to anti-Government propaganda over alleged atrocities by Security Forces."
Bringing this to light, a draft statement floated by a senior civil rights activist, Dr Gopal Krishna, has sought the signature of those who believe that the MHA is making “an unfounded connection between a banned organisations and a peoples’ rights struggle”.
Pointing out that the MHA allegations have come as “a consequence of enactment of amendments in the Companies Act, 2013, through Finance Act, 2017 as a Money Bill”, Dr Krishna says, minister Arun Jaitley has sought to justify all this as saying donors to political parties have “expressed reluctance in donating by cheque or other transparent methods as it would disclose their identity.”
According to Dr Krishna says, “As a consequence of the amendment faceless entities can now make anonymous donations of infinite amount” political parties.
Pointing out that the two main national political parties – BJP and Congress – received Rs 84 crore and Rs 82 crore from just one foreign company, as revealed by account statement submitted to the Election Commission of India, Dr Krishna says, “Instead of taking action against these parties for accepting foreign donations, MHA is defaming peoples’ struggle groups.”
“As a consequence of the Finance Act 2017, such donor companies can now provide anonymous donations to ensure that their interests in adivasi and mining areas”, Dr Krishna alleges, adding, at the same time, the MHA is “spreading misinformation and giving undue credit to Maoists in order to serve the interests of the anonymous corporate donors of political parties.”
Sharply criticizing the Maoists for failing to “save tribal land from these donors, who are blinded by their naked lust for profit at any human and environmental, cost unmindful of inter-generational and intra generational equity”, Dr Krishna calls proposed signatories to “denounce this deliberate attempt to defame people's genuine struggle for access and control over natural resources.”

Comments

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

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.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog