INDIA: Press Release on Public Meeting against ban on Mulwasi Bachao Manch

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Press release by CEM (Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch) that we have received.

We hereby seek your attention upon the public meeting against the undemocratic ban on Moolvasi Bachao Manch (MBM) that was organised by bsCEM (Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch) at Arts Faculty of Delhi University. Despite the excessive deployment of police and university security guards, the event witnessed significant participation from common university students who stood in solidarity with MBM’s struggle against militarisation and corporatisation of the Bastar region, and the anti-camp movement raging under its banner. The gathering voiced strong opposition to the anti-democratic actions of an increasingly repressive government and reaffirmed the demand for the immediate revocation of the ban on MBM.

Dr. Jitendra Meena, Assistant Professor at Delhi University, voiced grave concerns over the systematic plundering of natural resources across the country, orchestrated to transfer the nation’s rich mineral wealth to a handful of corporations. He emphasized the devastating consequences of this exploitation on the lives, livelihoods, and cultural heritage of indigenous communities. Drawing attention to states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, Dr. Meena highlighted how governments, often exploiting legal loopholes or outright flouting the law, have handed over land to corporations at dirt-cheap rates. This has left the Adivasis of India in conditions of extreme deprivation, facing severe repression whenever they resist or raise their voices against such practices.

Ehtmam ul-Haque, representing the Forum Against Corporatisation and Militarisation (FACAM), strongly condemned the unjust ban on Moolvasi Bachao Manch (MBM), emphasising that the organisation operates entirely within the constitutional framework. He pointed out that MBM has consistently relied on democratic means such as petition campaigns, dialogues with political representatives, and peaceful protests — particularly against the establishment of paramilitary camps in regions lacking fundamental amenities like hospitals and schools. He shed light on how the mines in Bastar are directly linked to Vizag’s ports via railways, enabling the export of minerals to countries like Japan, while several districts in Chhattisgarh remain without basic connectivity. Instead of utilizing these resources to benefit the local population, they are diverted for foreign markets and militarisation is also sharpened to protect their interests from resisting adivasis. He also highlighted the alarming scale of militarisation in Bastar, where one paramilitary personnel is stationed for every nine civilians, creating an atmosphere of fear and repression. Ehtmam expressed deep concern over the shrinking space for democratic dissent and the relentless repression of movements that challenge the government’s agenda, warning of the dangerous erosion of fundamental freedoms like the right to assembly.

Your coverage of this critical issue would amplify the voices resisting reppression and defending democratic principles.

 c principles.