"Failing" to get permission to protest, Gujarat farmers, tribals join counterparts in Maharashtra to oppose DMIC

By A Representative
In a major show of strength in Talasari, Maharashtra, around 50,000 farmers, tribals, fisherfolks and workers gathered to oppose the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) under the banner of Bhoomi Putra Bachao Andolan. Mainly belonging to Maharashtra and Gujarat, the civil society-sponsored rally marked August 9, the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, for highlighting their fears and apprehensions regarding DMIC.
Non-political farmers' organisation, Khedut Samaj Gujarat, leader Sagar Rabari, one of the top participants, told me that one major reason why people from Gujarat decided to go to Maharashtra was, the the state government does not give permission to take out rallies.
Other civil society organizations which planned the rally included mines, minerals & People, Adivasi Ekta Parishad, Bhoomi Sena and Kashtkari Samgathan.
"The government adopts every tactic to ensure that people do not protest, curtailing their democratic rights in every possible way", Rabari said, adding, "The moment any effort is made to protest, participants are detained in Gujarat."
The Talasari rally saw participants -- in which representatives also came from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, as these states would also be affected by the proposed corridor -- insist that the length of 1,483 km with an influence region covering 4,36,486 sq km would see unprecedented land acquisition.
In a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adopted at the end of the rally, said, "A project of this magnitude, which aims at setting up a six lane dedicated freight corridor, 150 km either side industrial corridor comprising industries and industrial regions of minimum 200 sq km, investment regions of minimum 100 sq km, will inevitably mean diverting land, forests, coast, water etc."

Pointing out that infrastructural amenities like electricity and roads would be diverted for industrial purpose and away from the already established occupations like agriculture, fishery, forest-related occupations, the memorandum said, "DMIC is a policy in the name of economic development that was never discussed in Parliament".
"The stretch from Mumbai to Delhi which is proposed to be developed under the DMIC is already one of the most heavily industrialised and urbanized parts of India. The influence area proposed under DMIC also covers about 17% population of the country i.e. approximately 21.5 crore of which about 8 crore is work force", it added.

Also opposing the bullet train project, apart from the plan to further intensively industrialize the already industrial hubs along the whole stretch by putting up new port projects like Vadhvan, Nargol, Dahej, etc., the memorandum said, all of it would "result in the physical, social and cultural upheaval of communities that live in relative symbiosis with nature".

"The process of land acquisition has begun for some of these projects. The consultative provisions under the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act are being reduced to a farce, as the resolutions opposing the projects that have been passed by the Gram Sabhas are being over-ruled by the authorities in a blanket manner", the memorandum said.

It further said, there is a "blanket over-ruling of the resolutions of the Gram Sabhas, reducing consultation to mere lip-service, defeating the very intention of the legislature", adding, a major legislation that is being undermined in the process is the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which requires that land in tribal areas "is to be acquired only under exceptional circumstances and in no case without the consent of the Gram Sabha".
"Local tribals and farmers and other citizens are up in-arms against the proposed projects", the memorandum tells Modi, adding, many Gram Sabhas have "passed resolutions opposing the projects. To register their disagreement many protest meetings and demonstrations have taken place".
Pointing out that DMIC has been proposed in a water starved area, the memorandum wondered, "How more water will be produced for rising population and heavy industrialization? Even at present, irrigation water is diverted to industries and areas under irrigation are being de-commanded in Gujarat. In such a scenario, where future need of water, food security and fresh air (environment) is not planned, can we call it planning or development?"
Asking Modi to carry out "a comprehensive and composite participatory review of the multiple projects" under DMIC, the memorandum wants that "a committee be setup to look into the cumulative impacts of the proposed DMIC and it be discussed Parliament and respective state assemblies before any further investment or implementation."

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

'Policy long overdue': Coalition of 29 experts tells JP Nadda to act on SC warning label order

By A Representative In a significant development for public health, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on pre-packaged food products. The order, passed by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on February 10, 2026, comes as the Court expressed dissatisfaction with the regulatory body's progress on the issue.

When tourism meets tribal law: The Vanajangi dispute in Andhra Pradesh

By Palla Trinadha Rao A writ petition presently before the High Court of Andhra Pradesh has brought into focus an increasingly important question in the governance of tribal regions: can eco-tourism projects in Scheduled Areas be implemented without the consent of the Gram Sabha? The case concerns the establishment of a Community Based Eco-Tourism centre at Vanajangi village in Paderu Mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju District, a region located within the Scheduled Areas of Andhra Pradesh.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Vaccination vs screening: Policy questions raised on cervical cancer strategy

By A Representative A public policy expert has written to Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda raising a series of concerns regarding the national Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign launched on February 28 for 14-year-old girls.

The new anti-national certificate: If Arundhati Roy is the benchmark, count me in

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* Dear MANIT Alumni Network Committee, “Are you anti-national?” I encountered this fascinating—some may say intimidating—question from an elderly woman I barely know, an alumna of Maulana Azad College of Technology (MACT, now Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology - MANIT), Bhopal, and apparently one of the founders of the MACT (now MANIT) Alumni Network. The authority with which she posed the question was striking. “How much anti-national are you? What have you done for the Alumni Network Committee to identify you as anti-national?” When I asked what “anti-national” meant to her and who was busy certifying me as such, the response came in counter-questions.

The ultimate all-time ODI XI: A personal selection of icons across eras

By Harsh Thakor* This is my all-time best XI chosen for ODI (One Day International) cricket: 1. Adam Gilchrist (W) – The absolute master blaster who could create the impact of exploding gunpowder with his electrifying strokeplay. No batsman was more intimidating in his era. Often his knocks decided the fate of games as though the result were premeditated. He escalated batting strike rates to surreal realms.

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

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah 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".

Minority concerns mount: RTI reveals govt funded Delhi religious meet in December

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* Indian Muslims have expressed deep concern over what they describe as rising hate speech and hostility against their community under the BJP-led government in India. A recent flashpoint was the event organised by Sanatan Sanstha titled “Sanatan Rashtra Shankhnad Mahotsav” in New Delhi on 13–14 December 2025.

Search This Blog