Skip to main content

"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

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.