Even as the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to reexamine all rejected (and perhaps pending) Forest Rights Act (FRA) claims, the threat to the claimants continues, a state-based civil rights organisation has claimed, citing how on July 9, 2019, at around 9-10 am forest officials accompanied by police and revenue officials started destroying newly planted fields of village Siwal of the Burhanpur district.
Bringing this to light, the Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS) has said that the adivasis had submtted proofs that the land belongs to them dating back to 1988-89. "The force destroyed five fields planted with corn and a traditional rice variety. When villagers gathered in large numbers and started protesting, they were fired upon with pellet guns. Four adivasis were injured."
Those were injured were Gokharsing Badole, Bhuralal Achchale, Rakesh Achchale, and Vakil. Badole was taken to a hospital in Indore, where he being treated.
"When the adivasis refused to disperse, the force withdrew. Adivasis of Siwal and other villages later gathered at the police station in Nepanagar demanding registration of FIR and action against the concerned officials", JADS said, adding, "However, the police refused to register FIR."
JADS said, "Late night on July 9, we were informed that an FIR has been registered but a copy has not been been provided to us and it seems that names of officials and details of injuries have been omitted. No arrests have been made. Reports say that cases of ‘rioting and obstruction of public servants’ have been registered against villagers."
JADS has demanded that a detailed FIR with injuries and names of forest officials as provided by complainants, including SDO (Nepanagar) Shukla and Ranger Randhawa, be registered and relevant sections of the Prevention of Atrocities Act be applied, and the guilty officials be be arrested. It has also sought withdrawal of cases against villagers, reverification of all rejected and pending claims under FRA on a war footing, and assurance that there is no forcible eviction.
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