Anti-development? No concrete reason cited for banning Moolwasi Bachao Manch under draconian law

Counterview Desk

Forum Against Corporatization And Militarization (FACAM)* statement condemning the ban imposed on the Moolwasi Bachao Manch:

***

It has come to our attention that the Home Ministry of Chhattisgarh Government, via a circular dated 30 October 2024 has banned Moolwasi Bachao Manch, Bastar, stating it to be an unlawful and anti development organization. The ban has been initiated under section 3 of the draconian Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act (CSPSA). This circular does not cite any concrete reasons for the same.

Moolwasi Bachao Manch is a democratic mass organization of adivasi peasants in Bastar fighting against corporate loot and the subsequent militarization happening to serve the corporate loot. Moolwasi Bachao Manch was formed after a paramilitary camp was set up overnight on the intervening night of 13th May, 2021 and 4 adivasi people were killed by paramilitary personnel in the protest against the same on 17th May, 2021. Since then, Moolwasi Bachao Manch has been in a sit-in protest at Silger and also organized 30 different protest sites in Bastar against paramilitary camps, fake encounter killings, mass arrests of adivasi peasants and aerial bombings happening in Bastar, for more than 3 years.

Speaking to FACAM, adivasi leader Soni Sori asked "What is the basis of banning Moolwasi Bachao Manch? Who forced the Adivasis of Bastar to form it? ''If the Government listened to the demands of the Adivasis, stopped mining and building camps, instead of killing four people in Silger, MBM wouldn't have been needed". Stressing on the importance of organizations like MBM and the need to defend them, she added, "We need to save MBM because it is the only mass organization fighting in the interest of Adivasis of Bastar and struggling to save Jal-Jungle-Jameen and the existence of Adivasis". She asserted that we must stand in solidarity with MBM, build a solidarity movement on ground as well as challenge the government's dictat of ban in court.

The arbitrary ban on a democratic mass organisation through the draconian CSPSA as well the ongoing mass arrests of its members including Sunita Pottam and Surju Tekam under false and fabricated cases in the past months, goes onto show that the government is putting up a facade of peace talks with armed maoist when it cannot even engage in talks with unarmed democratic mass movement of the adivasi peasantry against corporate loot and militarisation and bans their organization.

Forum Against Corporatization And Militarisation (FACAM) strongly condemns the ban on Moolwasi Bachao Manch and demands the following-

- Revoke the ban on Moolwasi Bachao Manch.

- Release all its members arrested in fabricated and false cases.

- Engage in talks with the Moolwasi Bachao Manch on their demands.

We also request all democratically minded people to raise their voice against the arbitrary ban on Moolwasi Bachao Manch and demand the revocation of the ban.

---

*Constituents:

All India Revolutionary Students Organization (AIRSO), All India
Students Association (AISA), All India Revolutionary Women’s
Organization (AIRWO), Ambedkar Student Association- DU (ASA-DU), Bhim
Army Student Federation (BASF), Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students
Organization (BASO), Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM),
Collective, Common Teachers Forum (CTF), Democratic Students Union
(DSU), Fraternity Movement, Nazariya Magazine, Progressive Lawyers
Association (PLA), Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS), Trade Union Centre
of India (TUCI), Vishwavidyalaya Chhatra Federation (VCF)

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog