Adani Group: Chhattisgarh tribes’ year-long protest against tycoon’s coal mine

BBC News, Chhattisgarh | Nikhil Inamdar | March 21, 2023

Deep in the jungles of central India, forest-dwelling tribes are marking the one-year anniversary of a continuous agitation against a new coal mine to be developed by the Adani Group. In recent months, they’ve received a show of support from high-profile politicians and celebrity activists. But in this David vs Goliath battle, a victory for the tribes will be hard won.

The village of Hariharpur in the state of Chhattisgarh stands on the precipice of two discordant worlds. To its east, the myriad greys of the decade-old Parsa East Kete Basan (PEKB) open cast coal mine, operated by the Adani Group, stretch as far as the eye can see. To the other side of this hamlet of a few scattered homes, lies the sprawling expanse of the Hasdeo forest, under which billions of tons of power grade coal still rests unexplored.

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No ‘outside festivals’ allowed, nod required for religious activities: Tribal-majority Bastar village’s diktat sparks row

The New Indian Express | March 20, 2023

The Ransargipal gram sabha directs Adivasis not to work in the fields of Hindus and Christians, says Christians cannot bury their dead in the village; the objective is to protect “tribal traditions, culture”, it claims.

In the tribal majority Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, a gram sabha has passed a resolution prohibiting the celebration of “outside festivals” and mandating that its permission be sought for any religious activity. The resolution passed by the gram sabha of Ransargipal village also directs Adivasis not to work in the fields of Hindus and Christians.

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Ensure basic rights of tribals: NCST to Odisha government

The Indian Express | March 20, 2023

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has asked the Odisha government to ensure basic human rights and justice to tribals residing in more than 45 villages bordering West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

Taking cognisance of a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the apex panel for tribal rights has issued notice to chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena seeking a detailed reply within 15 days.

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प्राकृतिक संसधनों के दोहन के खिलाफ 3 दिवसीय पदयात्रा की हुई शुरुआत, कोल प्रभावित इलाकों के हजारों मजदूर-किसान हुए शामिल

TRP The Rural Press | Feb 21, 2023

रायपुर। छत्तीसगढ़ के रायगढ़ जिले में तमनार विकास खंड के ग्राम पंचायत पेलमा से “जल-जंगल-जमीन” बचाने को लेकर तीन दिवसीय पदयात्रा की आज शुरूआत हुई। इस पदयात्रा में सैकड़ों की संख्या में ग्रामीण हिस्सा ले रहे हैं। कोयला सत्याग्रह के नाम पर देशभर में मशहूर हो चुके ग्राम पेलमा में पदयात्रा की शुरुआत के मौके पर ग्रामीणों ने संविधान के उद्देश्य का पठन किया।

विस्थापन और पर्यावरण प्रदूषण की विभीषिका
रायगढ़ जिले के कोयला प्रभावित इलाकों में शुरू हुई इस पदयात्रा में ग्रामीणों के स्वःस्फूर्त शामिल होने की प्रमुख वजह यहां आदिवासियों के प्रकृतिक संसाधन जल जंगल और जमीन के विदोहन को माना जा रहा है, जिसकी वजह से इलाके के जंगल ख़त्म होते जा रहे हैं। रायगढ़ जिले के तमनार, घरघोड़ा और धरमजयगढ इलाके में एसईसीएल, हिंडालको, अडानी, जिंदल कंपनी द्वारा बेतहाशा कोयला खनन के साथ ही पावर प्लांटों का संचालन किया जा रहा है। इससे पूरे इलाके में प्रदूषण फैल रहा है और जर्जर सड़कों के चलते हादसे भी हो रहे हैं।

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‘Misuse’ of PESA Act in Ghar Wapsi of Chhattisgarh Tribal Christians: Report

NEWS Click | Kashif Kakvi | 21 Feb 2023

A fact-finding team finds abuse of the Act to banish more than 1,000 tribal Christians from their villages because they refused to embrace Hinduism.

Bhopal: The implementation of the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, (PESA) by Chhattisgarh last August has allegedly become a tool for ‘Ghar Wapsi’ of tribals.

Abusing the Act’s clause (d), under the influence of Hindu extremist groups, Gram Sabhas banished more than 1,000 tribal Christians from their villages because they refused to embrace Hinduism, according to a fact-finding team.

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