Uphold rights of Jharkhand adivasis: Left back Adivasi Manch to NHRC

A Left backed organisation has sought the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to end the alleged human rights violation of adivasi communities in Khunti district of Jharkhand.

In a memorandum to NHRC on December 24, the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has appealed it to take appropriate measures to uphold the rights of adivasis in Khunti district, a Fifth Schedule area of the state.

The Jharkhand government has recklessly and illegally used the draconian IPC Sec 124 A in open FIRs against more than 15,000 adivasis accusing them of sedition, the AARM said in a statement Monday.

CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat who is also vice chairperson of AARM alleged that the Raghubar Das led BJP government in Jharkhand has systematically curbed the rights of adivasi people and slapped sedition laws on those who had raised voice for adivasi people's democratic rights.

"The use of Sec 124 A is totally unwarranted. This is a serious violation of the constitutional protection to adivasis of their customary laws and practices," Karat alleged.

In the memorandum, the AARM claimed that since 2017 end, atrocities on adivasis in Jharkhand began with tribal's 'pathalgarhi' movement- that is erecting stones at the boundary of the village, to demarcate them. These were erected as the community felt that their rights to forest land and resources were being diluted by the enactment of anti-adivasi laws.

The adivasis then etched statements on the walls to assert that no project or programme can be conducted in the village without the consent of the gram sabha, the statement said.

This soon escalated to a confrontation with government authorities who claimed that some elements in the name of 'pathalgarhi' were misleading the villagers not to permit the entry of outsiders and were targeting government officials and were not allowing the functioning of government schemes.

"What is shocking and of great concern is that most of these open FIRs, include Sec 124 A, a serious charge of sedition," the AARM added in the memorandum.

"We have requested the NHRC to examine this case and to take the appropriate measures to uphold the rights of adivasis in Khunti district and to prevent the violation of their human rights", Karat added.