20^th February 2003

Stop Police Butchery of Kerala Adivasis

-Condemn Police Action- 

We, the undersigned condemn the brutal police action leashed out on the Adivasi Resistance Movement (Adivasi Gothra Sabha and Adivasi-Dalit Samara Samithy) at the Muthanga Forest region of Wayanad District, in Kerala, yesterday. We are extremely stunned about the way in which the state machinery has resorted to contain the years long genuine demand of the adivasi movement for their land rights. We also condemn the reported assault on the Press people and the media persons. 

The police and forest officials along with the Kerala Armed Police moved in yesterday (19^th February 2003) into the Muthanga range of Wayanad wild life sanctuary, where the adivasis under the leadership of Ms. C.K Janu of Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha and Geethanandan of Adivasi-Dalit Samara Samithy had gathered.. The version of the state government sent out through the Press statement issued by the state police says that five people have been killed in the bloody confrontation between the state armed police and the adivasis. But unconfirmed eyewitness accounts place the figure beyond 10 – including old, women and children. Instead of a political and administrative resolution to the age-old Adivasi demand for land, the state government has unfortunately resorted to violent remedies, which has led to the massacre of adivasis.   

Over 1100 adivasi families protesting against the non-implementation of the agreement reached between them and the Kerala Government had occupied some 5000 acres of cleared forests of the Muthanga range in Wayanad wild life sanctuary on 4^th January 2003. On 17^th February 2003, 21 persons, comprising mostly of forest department officials and police along with hired labour, were caught red-handed - setting fire to the forests - by the adivasis. The fire was set on to the forest as part of the conspiracy to use that as an excuse to assault the adivasis. On 18 February the collector of Wayanad had come and recorded the statement of those caught setting fire and the culprits were released. While the necessity of protection of the forest resources is not denied, the same cannot be achieved without the participation of the adivasi community and their rights to life and livelihood. 

In the present situation, the administration should try and resolve the issue through an amicable settlement with the adivasis, including implementation of the government’s earlier promise to the people. 

To restore immediate normalcy in the state and the region, and to protect the lives of adivasis and their leaders, we demand the state government to:

 

• Stop police action, which has created a war-like situation in the entire area. Save the lives of the Adivasis and their leaders.
• Immediately diffuse the tension and restore normalcy.
• Allow the Press and the civil society groups to enter the area and talk to the adivasi leaders and thereby disseminate factual information to the people and the country.
• Start immediately the process of negotiating with the adivasis and implementation of the agreement arrived on September 6, 2001 between the adivasis and the Government of Kerala, in the presence of representatives of civil society groups.
• Order an immediate judicial enquiry into the incident under a sitting High Court Judge.

 

Gam A Shimray         

All India Coordinating Forum of the Adivasi / Indigenous People

 

Souparno Lahiri & Ashok Sharma

Delhi Forum

 

E. Deenadayalan, Anuradha Saibaba &

Vijayan MJ

The Other Media

 

Dr. Prakash Louis

Indian Social Institute, Delhi

 

Thomas Kocherry

National Fishworkers Forum

 

Sunita Dubey

Environmental Justive Initiative

 

Colin Gonsalves

Human Rights Law Network

 

Rajendra Ravi

LOKAYAN

 

Ajeet Jha

National Alliance of Peoples Movement

 

Bineet Mundu

JOHAR

 

Dr. D Mardi

International Confederation of Indigenous / Tribal People

 

Vijay Pratap

Socialist Front

 

Sunil & Yogendra Yadav

Samajvadi Jan Parishad

 

Sagram

Kisan Adivasi Sangathan, Madhya Pradesh

 

Anurag

Shramik Adivasi Sangathan, Paitul

 

Beer Singh Sinku

BIRSA, Jharkhand

 

Ravi R Pragada

SATHA, Andhra Pradesh

 

Xavier Dias

Mines, Minerals and Peoples, Jharkhand

 

Gautam Navlakha

PUDR, Delhi

 

Syeda Hameed

South Asians for Human Rights

 

Medha Patkar,

Narmada Bachao Andolan

 

C.R Bijoy

PUCL, Tamil Nadu

 

Bijoya

Adivasi Mukti Sangathan, Chattisgarh

 

Himanshu Thakkar

South Asia Network for Dams, Rivers and People

 

Bela Bhatia

CSDS, Delhi 

Sunil. J. Mathew & George M. Alex

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