Maharashtra CM moved of against forest official destruction of 70 Kolam Tribal Houses

Maharashtra CM moved of  against forest official destruction of 70 Kolam Tribal Houses

Nagpur-11^th May, 2012

Maharashtra Chief minister has taken serious note of tragic unconstitutional very serious incident under   Forest officials of Central Chanda subdivision destroyed 70 houses of Kolam tribals in Piparguda and Kolamguda villages on Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh border in Rajura tehsil on Sunday. It is being alleged that they have encroached forest land in compartment No. 126 of Vihirgaon range coming under Central Chanda forest subdivision. These tribals walked a distance of 55km in two days to reach Chandrapur seeking justice for destruction of their houses back in their villages.

Tribal activist group disturbed with media report wrote to CM  and asked him to look into matter and take stern action against erring officer who are responsible for freezing the fundamental rights of Kolam Tribals  who are rare primitive Tribes dying due starvation and malnourishment ,informed  Kishor Tiwari, president of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), Tribal  advocacy group.

“This area is part Dandakarayna Forest of Mahabharat and Kolam  are tribes who are living in these forest till then and being forced to leave these forest and chandrapur incident is piece of iceberg  much atrocities are done  regularly and complete apathy of Govt. is brought Kolam Tribals existence in danger ,we will take up this to higher with NHRC ,ST-SC commission if  administration failed to take long term integrated plan save  Kolam tribe community ,Tiwari added.

Here are  the details of complaint

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From: Chief Minister office <CM@maharashtra.gov.in>

Date: Fri, 11 May 2012 04:09:21 +0000

To: Adv Vinod Tiwari<vinod6262@yahoo.co.in>

Subject: HOW SUCH DESTRUCTION OF SHELTERS/HUTS OF KOLAM PREMITIV TRIBALs CAN TAKE PLACE,WHEN Hon'ble SC HAS ALREADY HELD RIGHT TO LIFE OF TRIBAL CANNT BE INFRINGED..? : ARE NOT CHANDRAPUR FOREST OFFICIALs CRUSHING HUMAN RIGHTs and FORCING TRIBAL...

This is to acknowledge that the office of Chief Minister of Maharashtra has recieved your email. Thank you !

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HOW SUCH DESTRUCTION OF SHELTERS/HUTS OF KOLAM PREMITIV TRIBALs CAN TAKE PLACE,WHEN Hon'ble SC HAS ALREADY HELD RIGHT TO LIFE OF TRIBAL CANNT BE INFRINGED..? :
ARE NOT CHANDRAPUR FOREST OFFICIALs CRUSHING HUMAN RIGHTs and FORCING TRIBAL TO BECOME NAXAL ??
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To,
Hon'ble Chief Minister Sh.Prithviraj Chavan Saheb,
Mantralaya, Mumbai.

Sub:
CHANDRAPUR TRIBALs ARE CRYING:
70 Kolam Tribes Families made Homeless by Forest Deptt....!

HOW SUCH DESTRUCTION OF HUTS OF TRIBALs CAN TAKE PLACE ,
WHEN Hon'ble SC HAS ALREADY HELD RIGHT TO LIFE OF TRIBAL CANNT BE INFRINGED..??
ARE NOT CHANDRAPUR FOREST OFFICIALs CRUSHING HUMAN RIGHTs and FORCING TRIBAL TO BECOME NAXAL ??
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Resp Sh.CM Saheb,

This with ref my earlier telecom with you regarding kolam houses destruction in chandrapur forest division ,With this letter, we humbly call upon
Your immediate kind attention towards a highly shocking & perturbing incident happened in Chandrapur distt of our Maharashtra. Print Media reports now confirmed that  70 poor Tribal Kolam families were made home/shelter less by Forest officials & their century  old small Huts in which they were living are destroyed with there being no any alternate arrangement of shifting is made.
here are details published by National daily

Quote

Kolam tribals walk 55km to get back their homes

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-09/nagpur/31641219_1_tribal-women-forest-land-forest-officials
CHANDRAPUR: Forest officials were in a fix on Tuesday after around 70 Kolam tribals, mostly women and children, stormed into chief conservator of forest's (CCF) office and sat at the gate seeking shelter and food. These tribals walked a distance of 55km in two days to reach Chandrapur seeking justice for destruction of their houses back in their villages.
Forest officials of Central Chanda subdivision destroyed 30 houses of Kolam tribals in Piparguda and Kolamguda villages on Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh border in Rajura tehsil on Sunday. It is being alleged that they have encroached forest land in compartment No. 126 of Vihirgaon range coming under Central Chanda forest subdivision.

Earlier these tribals lived at Dongargaon irrigation project site. As their lands were taken for the reservoir, they were removed. As their settlement was on encroached land no compensation was paid to them. The Kolams then moved to forest land near Kostala village on the state border. But, this time forest department razed their houses.

A total of 19 families from Piparguda and 11 families from Kolamguda were left shelterless after demolition drive carried out jointly by forest and police department. Social organization Shramik Elgar took up the issue and began a long march to Chandrapur. Forest officials however, had deployed huge police posse equipped with riot control squad at CCF office to thwart any untoward situation.

After the protesters reached CCF office, they tried to barge into the premises but cops thwarted their efforts. The tribal women who had toddlers were forced to sit outside the gate. Protesters led by Shramik Elgar's president Paromita Goswami demanded immediate meeting with CCF BSK Reddy, but he took over an hour to step out and talk to the tribals.

Reddy held talks with Goswami across the locked iron gate. Goswami apprised him of their woes and demanded tribals' land back with compensation against the damage. "Forest officers have committed most inhuman act by razing the houses of destitute tribals and leaving them shelterless in blazing summer heat. They have been living for more than 10 years on the same place and the law entitles them to have right over encroached land. Such blatant use of power and senseless atrocities on tribals has fed Naxalism in the area ," she charged.

Tribals held said that they would not budge from CCF office gate at any cost. "Our homes have been destroyed. We have no bread to eat and no other place to go. We will stay here at forest office and now it is responsibility of forest department to arrange for our food and shelter," said tribal women.

Forest officers offered no help to resolve the problem even as social workers show them voter identity cards proving their residence in area for more than 10 years and collector's orders entitling some of the tribals of the land under Forest Right Act.

Speaking to TOI, Reddy said, "Tribals have claimed that their settlement on encroached forest land is more than 10 years old, however our records show otherwise. Their claims will be verified and decision will be taken as per the law."

It was a pity scene at forest office as over two dozen women, accompanied by equal number of children and handful of tribal men sat exhausted and dehydrated throughout the day. Around a dozen of women among them were breast feeding mothers and they sat in blazing sun with their wailing kids. Forest officers themselves provided masala bhat as lunch to the poor tribals, while ZP president Santosh Kumre had arranged for their dinner. Police officers arranged for water and anti-dehydration drinks for tribal children. The tribals intended to stay put in front of CCF office in the night.

Un-Quote

This all happened on the settled position of Laws that the poor Tribal s Can't be Evicted in a manner forest officials did in Chandrapur...!

Tribal Rights to Life as Guaranteed by Constitution of India, is a Fundamental Right to Live Grace ful Life. Therefore, its fit case of Atrocities caused upon  poor tribals.

We all are literally shocked to understand that Forest officials misusing provisions of deconion Forest Conservation Act, all of sudden, crushed huts of Tribal s and 70 families were thrown out of Shelters.
Poor unorganised tribals all crying for justice but no forest officials had listen their voice.

Sir,Its disturbing....!! More perturbing is the second part of Story that all these Tribal,mostly Kolams Women & small children travelled 70 Kms odd distance by Foot March from Forest to distt HQ at Chandrapur in such scorching heat wave.
The action of Forest officials to make these Tribals Homeless is a classic example of Rude & Heartless Atrocity act, which is in breach & in violation of mandate of Hon'ble apex court-SC that no Tribals can be Evicted unless an alternate arrangement is made for their Shelter & live hood. But in present case, it shows How Fundamental Rights of Tribals are infringed in our prosperous State Like Maharashtra.
Having read this News in Media, our team visited the Spot. We have examined the entire events of this case & reasons to believe that its fit case to strike & highlight on all level to avoid repetition of such painful incident.

PRAYER:

Hence we strongly condemn this & hereby demand immediate Restoration of Tribal s huts with suitable compensation to be paid to each sufferer Tribal family & cost be recovered from the salaries of Forest officials concerned.
Looking to seriousness & gravity, a FIR / Criminal Prosecution be made against all Forest Officials involved or responsible for this act of grave atrocity on tribals.

Need less to mention, If our prayer is not considered, We shall be taking this to Human Rights Commission / Hon'ble Apex Court to high light this case of gross violations of Tribals Right to Life, please note.

We hope you will promptly intervention   and arrange to do the needful in the matter.

Hence  this Representation.

Thanking you,

Adv.Vinod Tiwari,
General Secretary,
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti,

‘We are also taking up matter with forest secretary Pravin Pardesi who is also relief secretary to visit the place and   verify the truth as act of forest officail ,as can not tolerated we will move all the forum  to redress unjust and criminal action against all erring officials is not taken within 8 days” Tiwari added.