ANGRY AIKS RALLY AND GHERAO AT JAWHAR FLAYS FOREST DEPT ATTACKS ON ADIVASIS
On July 5, 2019, a large and angry rally of thousands of Adivasi peasants led by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) laid siege to the Additional Collector’s Office at Jawhar in Palghar district of Maharashtra.
Leaders and activists of other mass organisations like AIDWA, DYFI, CITU and SFI from all tehsils of Palghar and Thane districts also took part in this action. Tribal women participated in the rally in large numbers.
The peasants were undeterred by the pouring rain that lashed the area and they gheraoed the office with umbrellas in hand. They had come to denounce the Forest Department officials who had demolished some houses and had dug holes in the forest lands that had been cultivated by Adivasis for generations and for which claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) had already been made.
The four hour long gherao was lifted in the evening only after the Tahsildar himself came before the rallyists with a written assurance to the AIKS leadership that all such depradations by the Forest Department would be stopped forthwith.
This action was led by AIKS National President Dr Ashok Dhawale, State President Kisan Gujar, State Vice Presidents Barkya Mangat and Ratan Budhar, State Joint Secretary Radka Kalangda, State Council members Yashwant Ghatal, Kiran Gahala and Sadashiv Sable, CITU State Joint Secretary Vinod Nikole, DYFI State President Sunil Dhanwa, AIDWA State Vice President Lahani Dauda and State General Secretary Prachi Hatiwlekar and others
This action was followed by a districtwide workshop at Jawhar to prepare for the coming state assembly elections due in October 2019. The workshop which continued till night, took several important decisions.
An AIKS delegation will meet the Collector of Palghar district on July 8 to discuss this and other matters concerning the implementation of the FRA, and other burning issues of the people like forced land acquisition for the proposed Bullet Train and Expressway, PDS, old age pensions and so on.
