Modi’s new train reignites Adivasi protests

The first semi-high-speed train, designed entirely locally, has been unveiled as a symbol of the Modi government’s “Make in India” strategy. But along the railway corridor between Gujarat and Maharashtra, protests by farmers and tribal communities continue, with claims of forced land acquisition and inadequate compensation.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – India is accelerating its railway modernisation drive by focusing on a semi-high-speed train entirely “made in India”. But behind this new symbol of industrial nationalism promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, protests continue among tribal communities and expropriated farmers along the railway corridor between Gujarat and Maharashtra.

This week, Indian Railways unveiled the design of the first semi-high-speed train designed and built entirely in the country, with entry into service scheduled for 2027. The project is one of the symbols of the “Make in India” campaign, through which the government seeks to strengthen domestic production and reduce technological dependence on foreign countries.

The new train will link Ahmedabad and Dholera, in the western state of Gujarat, with the aim of improving domestic transport and facilitating travel to over 200 villages in the region. According to the government, the project will also help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 20,000 tonnes and cut oil imports.

The new line will partly utilise the corridor already built for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR), India’s first true high-speed railway, developed using Japanese Shinkansen technology and financed through a bilateral loan of around €15 billion granted by Tokyo. The MAHSR is also expected to become operational by 2027 and will link Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the country’s two main economic hubs, passing through Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The project was launched in 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and was presented as a turning point in modernising a rail network still plagued by chronic delays and obsolete infrastructure. However, from the outset, the construction of the rail corridor has drawn strong criticism from environmental groups, civil rights organisations and local communities.

Behind the railway modernisation, deep social tensions remain unresolved. According to official figures, the line required the acquisition of around 1,400 hectares of land and affected at least 73 rural villages. Many families still complain of insufficient compensation or compensation never received, whilst the Ministry of Infrastructure continues to describe the land acquisition process as ‘transparent and fair’.

Landowners and local activists, however, speak of forced expropriations and consultations conducted without the genuine consent of the affected communities. The allegations mainly concern the failure to apply regulations requiring the informed consent of local assemblies, particularly in tribal areas.

The area most affected by infrastructure projects is the district of Palghar, in the state of Maharashtra, where Adivasi communities – India’s indigenous tribal peoples – account for around 37% of the population. In some areas, the Adivasis are protected by the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which recognises forms of local autonomy and specific guarantees regarding control over traditional lands. Despite this, infrastructure projects continue to be approved: in Palghar alone, 15 different development projects are currently planned.

Controversy erupted particularly in 2020, during the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, when environmentalists and local organisations accused the central government and those of Gujarat and Maharashtra of proceeding with land acquisitions by taking advantage of restrictions on movement and public protests.

According to local movements, many residents were reportedly informed of the land acquisition at short notice, with no real opportunity to object. Despite calls to suspend the project and review the consultation procedures, in 2024 the government declared the campaign to acquire the land needed for the line’s construction a success.

Having imported Japanese technology for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad project, the government now aims to present the new national high-speed rail as proof of India’s industrial maturity and the country’s ability to develop advanced infrastructure independently.

But along the routes of the future high-speed line, protests continue from local communities and environmental groups, who accuse Delhi of sacrificing land and rights in the name of development.

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