Goverment to deport a million Tribals in Jharkhand
Daltenganj (AsiaNews) Catholic volunteers have joined Tribals in protesting the Indian army's decision to use large swathes of forest lands inhabited by Tribal people since time immemorial for military exercises. Under the army's plan a million people would be removed but Tribals have vowed they would "do or die" rather than lose their traditional nature-bound lifestyle and historic cultural roots.
Jesuit Fr Shabri Muthu, a staunch supporter of Tribals' inalienable rights to the forest, told AsiaNews that the government recently appropriated 3,500 km2 of land in the state of Jharkhand, mostly forest, for military exercises in August.
In 1994 the government had already put aside another 1.471 km2 for the same purpose and would have forcibly removed some 300,000 Tribal residents had it not been for the latter's successful decade-long resistance to pressures and intimidation from the army and public administration.
"But leasing more land obviously means that the army is determined to go ahead with its plan for firing exercises," Father Muthu said. "This means that altogether one million Tribals would be uprooted from forest lands and homes where they lived for thousands of years."
"They [the Tribals] believe their ancestors dwell invisibly with them, so they cannot accept the idea of displacement from their lands. But I fear the army might use force to push them out and that they will resist and this makes bloodshed quite possible," he added.
Fr Cyprian Kullu, communication director for the diocese of Gumla whose territoryas well as that of the diocese of Daltenganjis included in the future military zone, told AsiaNews that Tribals have begun a non-stop protest against the threats to their ancestral land.
"Demonstrators have blocked all the main roads to the area and have stage a one-day rally in front of government offices," Father Kullu said. "They plan to stage protest meetings in the areas where military exercises are expected to take place. They want to stop military vehicles from entering at any cost".
The Church is backing the Tribals in their struggle to keep their homes and preserve the land of their forebears, "but it clear," Father Kullu said, "that we wish and insist that the protest be peaceful and non-violent".
"We have been wooing political leaders and government authorities to end the firing range plan," he explained. "So far, the Church has succeeded in its mission to keep the protest peaceful. Even the government has so far avoided precipitating the crisis by not implementing the army plan. But now it seems we have edged closer to the precipice. The government and the army appear bent on going ahead while Tribals are gearing up for their 'do or die' resistance. We are praying the crisis can be averted".
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