Adivasi Activists

Jharkhand

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on 1^st July 2019, regarding the judicial harassment of Fr. Stan Swamy, Aloka Kujur and other human rights defenders.

On June 19, 2019, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Khunti, has issued a warrant of arrest against Fr. Stan Swamy, Aloka Kujur, Vinod Kumar, Rakeshroshan Kiro and others, in case No. 124 of 2018 while petition is pending before HC for quashing this case. Back in July 26, 2018, the Jharkhand police filed a case of sedition and other sections of the Information Technology Act, against these well known and reputed Adivasi activists for publishing posts on Facebook critical of the government policies and actions and for their prominent role in the Pathalgadi movement. The Pathalgadi movement opposes government’s proposal to introduce land acquisitions laws and state domicile eligibility. In the FIR in Cr. No.124 of 2018, no progress in the investigation was made and no charge sheet has been filed till date against any of the 20 accused in spite of one year having passed. Though they were not arrested after the FIR was filed, it is largely believed that this was an intimidation tactic to threaten and silence those who have been campaigning against state government’s policies and actions favouring the corporates. According to the FIR, the activists played a leading role in manipulating the innocent and uneducated villagers against the government and prodding them towards ‘anti-national’ activities.

HRDA has prayed intervention of NHRC using powers u/s 12 (b) of the PHRA 1993 in the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Khunti on behalf of the human rights defenders and assurance that they are not arrested and subjected to reprisals because of their human rights work.