Indigenous People

Madhya Pradesh

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on July 26, 2019 regarding the forced eviction and arbitrary firing against indigenous people of Madhya Pradesh.

On July 09, 2019, a team comprising of the local police, revenue officials and forest officials of Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh arrived at Sivil village for eviction and destroyed the harvest of 60 hectares of forest land. Barela Adivasis have occupied the forest land and have been cultivating the land for years. They have also applied for entitlements of the land under the Forest Rights Act 2006. They have submitted the proof of their occupancy with their claim forms but their claims are still pending. The eviction team, however, without considering their pending claims, destroyed the harvest. The Adivasis protested against it and in retaliation, the team opened fire on them and as a result, four villagers were severely injured. The villagers went to the local police station and after a long struggle, an FIR was filed. The eviction team filed a counter FIR against 26 villagers under Sections 353, 147, 148, 149, 332 and 472 of the Indian Penal Code[IPC] alleging them of rioting, attacking and not allowing the government officials to perform their duties.

HRDA has prayed for high-level inquiry into the matter of illegal forced eviction and police firing.