Organising an Adivasi protest against the recent Seoni lynchings in Madhya Pradesh, the civil rights group Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS) has said what has happened is nothing but outage committed by certain extremist groups in the name of religion.
Demand that the government should take action against such hate groups, JADS said in a media communique, shockingly, youth are being handed weapons instead of books, regretting, the government has remained a mute spectator as "Constitutional rights of Adivasis, Dalits and minorities are being brazenly violated."
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Adivasi organizations across Barwani, Burhanpur and Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh came together to oppose the midnight attack on an Adivasi home a brutal murder of two Adivasis in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh by activists of Bajrang Dal and Shree Ram Sena.Protestors gave a memorandum to the Governor and the Chief Minister opposing the politics of “gundagardi” in the name of religion and demanding a ban on organizations that engage in violence in the name of religion and are blatantly anti-Constitutional.
The attack, which took place on the night of 2nd May, led to the deaths of Dhansa Inawati of Semariya village and Sampat Batti of nearby Sagar village. According to the family members of the deceased, around 2.30 at night, 15-20 members of Bajrang Dal and Shree Ram Sena barged into their homes and started beating up the two men.
Women in their households who tried to protect them were also beaten up and had their clothes torn. Brajesh Batti also suffered injuries in the attack. It was later confirmed by the Thana Official of Kurai Thana, Mr. Uikey, that 3 of the accused were members of Bajrang Dal and 6 people were associated with Shree Ram Sena.
Protesting Adivasis unequivocally stated that such brazen violation of law and brutal attacks on people in the name of religion and 'gauraksha' are completely unacceptable. They pointed out that for them their cattle are like members of their family, but they strongly oppose the way people are being killed in the name of “cow protection” -- mostly by those who have never actually looked after a cow in their entire life!
Why, they said, are youth being provided with weapons instead of books? The responsibility of such attacks rests solely upon the administration and the government, who are tacitly supporting such attacks.
Similar instances of attacks on Adivasis have been reported from Madhya Pradesh in the past year. In September 2021, Bisan Bhil of Khargone and Kishan Nihal in Khandwa were beaten to death in police custody. No action has been taken upon the perpetrators so far.
In May 2021, a family of five Korku Adivasis was killed in Nemawar by one Surendra Rajput, claimed to be a member of the ‘Hindu Kesariya Sangathan’. Later, in August 2021, Kanhaiyalal Bhil died after being brutally beaten and dragged by a vehicle on the road.
Protestors pointed out that Adivasis, along with other common people of the country are already suffering greatly due to skyrocketing prices; farmers and labourers are being forced to migrate in search of work and are being reduced to bonded labour. To make matters worse, opportunities for education and employment are rapidly becoming out of reach of Adivasis, and now Adivasis are not even safe in their own homes.
Protesting Adivasis, led by Harsing Jamre, Nasri bai Ningwal, Antaram Alawe, Shivram Kanase, Prakash Bandod and many others all demanded that the government take immediate steps to curb such incidents and to ban organizations that engage in such unconstitutional and extra-legal activities.
Organizations such as Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS), Jay Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), Bhim Army, Adivasi Chhatra Sangathan, SC-ST-OBC Ekta Manch, etc. participated in protests across Barwani, Burhanpur and Khargone.
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