Re: Chattisgarh - Pathalgadi

[Stan Swamy]

Friends,

For your kind info, the situation in Jharkhand is the people of the villages where Pathalgadis have been erected are well informed and mobilised and are guarding their Pathalgadis with their traditional bows & arrows. Neither the police nor the administration have tried to forcibly enter these villages. Hence what the state govt has done is to arrest a few leaders from outside the area. Those arrested are having recourse to legal action vs their arrest. In the meanwhile, more and more villages are very quietly erecting Pathalgadis in their villages. It looks to be an unstoppable people's movement against the decades-long plunder of their natural resources whereby outsider-corporates have become enriched whereas adivasi people in whose land all these mineral wealth is stored and have had no share in the excavated riches have been reduced to increasing poverty and forced to migrate as casual labour. They have come to the point of saying 'Enough is enough'.

Some of our Jharkhandi activists have visited some of these villages and met and talked with the people and have come back with the conviction that the path people have chosen is absolutely 'constitutional'.

My own suggestion with regard to the situation in Chattisgarh is that a high profile committee composed of some eminent intellectuals, legal professionals and activists meet the adivasi people in the villages where the rightist-fringe groups have damaged the Pathalgadis and challenge the state/central govt which keep calling people's action 'unconstitutional'. This may pave way for legal action too.

Stan Swamy

Loktantra Bachao Manch

Jharkhand

On 9 May 2018 at 19:38, Goldy M George <goldymg...@gmail.com> wrote:

APOLOGIES FOR CROSS POSTING

Dear friends and comrades

I am forwarding a note by Fr. Jacob Kujur with regards to the mass movement initiated by Adivasis in Central India under the PATHALGADI movement. I assume that many of you might be aware of this movement by now. The leaders which includes former IAS officer and a former Senior Manager ONGC have been arrested and sent to jail. There is an utter need for solidarity expression from the civil society as this democratic movement stand diametrically opposite to the ongoing onslaught of land, water, minerals, forest resources, human resources, etc. in Fifth Schedule Areas. There has been zero efforts to engage or discuss the matter with the members of the movement either by the government or by civil liberties organisation yet. There is an urgency for an urgent intervention, where most of the leaders have been slapped with sections such as sedition and igniting enmity between two social groups. 

On the other end, a new outfit viz. Sarva Sanatan Adivasi Samaj have been formed by RSS, which immediately surfaced to take over and destroy the PATHALGADI, at least in some villages. We would soon work on a Solidarity Statement in support of the movement members and bring it for public circulation. Kindly respond to this war like situation.  Your reflections would be much appreciated. Below is a new item published by The Hindu on April 14, 2018. Those who are unaware of this movement may kindly refer to it. 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/the-pathalgadi-rebellion/article23530998.ece

Looking forward to hear from you. Kindly forward this to all those groups and individuals who support the Adivasi expression of SELF RULE. 

Thanks and regards

Dr. Goldy M. George

Convener

Chhattisgarh Nagrik Sanyukt Sangarsh Samiti

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Stan Swamy <stan....@gmail.com>
Date: 9 May 2018 at 16:09
Subject: Chattisgarh - Pathalgadi
To: Teesta Teesta <teesta...@gmail.com>, sun...@nationalheraldindia.com, suvojit...@thehindu.co.in, CR Bijoy <cr.b...@gmail.com>, goldy george <goldymg...@gmail.com>, isp...@peoplesvoice.in, JESA Secretary <jesa.se...@gmail.com>, Sunil Minj <sunil...@gmail.com>, Gladson Dungdung <gladsonh...@gmail.com>, Prem Chand Murmu <premdha...@gmail.com>, Marianus Minj - Bagaicha <mmi...@yahoo.co.in>, Anuranjan Purty <anup...@gmail.com>, Polidor Kujur Jam <polido...@rediffmail.com>, Robinson CSA - Dumka <johnrob...@gmail.com>, "George Fernandes Prov. Jam" <gferna...@gmail.com>, "Kalyanus Minj Prov. MP" <kalyanus...@gmail.com>, "Marianus Kujur Prov. Ranchi" <marian...@gmail.com>, Santosh Minj <hazsjpr...@gmail.com>, "Varghese Palli Prov. Dumka" <varg...@gmail.com>, Shiv Prasad <shivp...@gmail.com>, Bineet Mundu <bineet...@yahoo.co.uk>, Dayamani Barla <daya...@gmail.com>, Bhubnesh Sawaiyan <bhubneshwar.sawaiyan@gmail.com>, Xavier Soreng <xso...@yahoo.com>, Xavier Dias <reach...@gmail.com>, Abhay Xaxa <abha...@gmail.com>, Nandini Sundar <nandin...@yahoo.com>, Ajitha Susan George <ajit...@gmail.com>

A JUST NOW RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM CHATTISGARH ABOUT HARASSMENT FOR ERECTING ‘PATHALGADI’ IN ADIVASI VILLAGES

 

Dear colleagues,

 

You are well aware with the event of "Pathagadi". Some say it is Constitutional while some others unconstitutional. After the incident a "Sadbhavna Yatra" was arranged by write wing which turned into "Durbhavna Yatra". For some "Pathagadis" were demolished by the "Sadbhavna Yatris" with the order of write wing political leaders in the presence of police. While police was going back villagers stopped the police men and demanded that why did they allow to demolish the  "Pathagadi"? So they should- 1. Reinstall it with government expenses. 2. Allegations charged against the "Pathagadi" leaders be withdrawn. 3. FIR be logged on those who broke the ‘Pathagadi’ and their leaders.

 

The SDM of Bagicha promised to fulfill the demand of the villagers verbally but did not give in writing, telling that the following day we would come and give in writing, which he had not done till date.

 

Some political parties and civil societies have visited the people. All of them have declared that that the “Pathagadi” is constitutional and part of tribal custom and tradition. All the leaders of it put in jail be released unconditionally. Pathalgadis did not disturb social amity but Sadbhavna Yatris.

 

Charge speculated on Pathagadis were 147,149,427,120b,332,335,186,505 of IPC.

Now at Narayanpur Police Station 11 of them are charged of disturbing social amity and at Bagicha Police Station 21 of them for causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty. So far 7 of them are arrested and put into jail. For 2 of the bail at session court has been rejected. Effort is on process for bail, for all of them.

 

What can you do?

1. Prayerful support

2.Declare through press conference, press release, publication in print and electronic media, memorandum etc. after a seminar, workshop, conference, public gathering, etc. that Pathagadi isConstitutional.

3.Demand unconditional release of arrested leaders. And say the charge put on them is illegal.

4. Condemn the act of Sadbhavna Yatris. And no such Yatras be organized there.

5. All possible support to get the bail.

6. Creation of a platform of Constitutional and legal experts and thinkers for the deeper study and critical analysis of the event.

 

Looking forward of your valuable support

On behalf of suffering people

Jacob Kujur

 

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"Creation of a casteless, classless and peaceful society is indeed the first step towards just, egalitarian, and harmonious society. It is not just a struggle of one's identity, rather it is the struggle for the complete liberation of mankind. A society of equals, neither unequal nor more-equals, beyond the strings of caste, class, gender, race, ethnicity, etc. Otherwise it leads to social oppression, political exploitation, economic deprivation, cultural domination, gender discrimination, class isolation, deliberate exclusion. Lets’ believe in a society beyond this...."

DR. GOLDY M. GEORGE

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