May 25, Badwani, Madhya pradesh

We as tribals and as members of Jagrut Adivasi Dalit Sangathan strongly condemn the externment(zilla badar) notice given to Madhuri bai, a senior activist of our Sangathan.

The extermnent orders should be given not to Madhuri Bai, but to the corrupt administration  that is functioning under the leadership of the Collector, SP, CEO  of the Zillapanchayat, which is sucking the blood of us adivasis and usurping our rights by siphoning of crores of rupees that have been alloted for our development.

The notice issued points out many criminal cases against Madhuri Bai. But the fact remains that she has been exonerated and acquitted by the court in all the mentioned cases. This notice also mentions 5 cases, which the police has been investigating for the past 2 to 6 years. All these cases are baseless and false and are an obvious and clear attempt to crush the voices that we have been raising against the corrupt practices and the dereliction of duty on part of the district administration in order to get our health rights, forest rights and just labour wages.

It is written in Madhuri bai’s extermnent notice that we have been “obstructing” the development work of the administration. But far from obstructing, our struggle has always been to make government schemes work properly and weed out corruption and dereliction of duty. Our entire movement has been for ensuring  that the benefits of these schemes reach the adivasis who are the rightful beneficiaries. The Sangathan has been working towards making people aware of their rights and ensuring that there is no corruption in the implementation of schemes meant for us.

The notice also states that there is an atmosphere of fear among the government functionaries because of the Sangathan and Madhuri Bai. We would like to ask:  our demand has always been that the law and government schemes be properly implemented – why then are they afraid of us?  In fact they are scared because neither do they want to follow the law and properly implement schemes, nor do they want an aware and alert  public who can keep a vigilant eye on their work and demand answers for corrupt practices. If they are scared of and unable to answer valid questions of the people they serve, then they should give in their resignation

What kind of democratic government is this, which is scared to face the people.? To organize and agitate for our rights is a right given to us by the Constitution, it cannot be taken away by the collector.

We know that there are many political leaders who are involved in this conspiracy to repress our sanghatan. They have  publicly voiced the demand of “ Zillabadar” of Madhuri bai several times in the past. Now they should come together with us and demand that this Zillabadr notice is revoked or else they will have to pay a heavy price in the coming elections.

We are never given our wages on time, neither are we given our due ration or forest rights certificates. There is regular violation of our gram shaba resolutions. Illegal liquor and gambling has been going openly and unchecked. But when we campaign on these basic issues and demand that the law should be followed it is us who are labeled as criminals.   What have we adivasis seen  in the past 60 years: only loot, violence, hunger and fear. When we have got together to fight for our legal rights against the misrule and corruption , there has been a constant effort of the corrupt vested interests to crush us by slapping false cases on us.  In this situation we have to ask- Is our country really independent and what is this freedom that we talk about?

This attack is not on Madhuri Bai but on the whole adivasi and laboring community.  The BJP and the Congress elected representatives have never supported the peoples demands or raised the problems of the people. Instead they have always gone against those who have demanded a solution to the problems of the people. Madhuri bai has stood by us and given us the support that should have been given to us by our elected  representatives.

If Madhuri bai is an antisocial criminal then the many thousands of adivisis of our sanghatan and their families are also anti social criminals. Thousands of us along our families should also be given “ Zillabadar” notices. She is not alone in this struggle.

This kind of mis treatment of people who are fighting for up holding the constitution  and law of the country , makes it clear that our country is not free and we are now fighting for true independence. Our movement is a part of  the second struggle of independence.

In the past adivasi freedom fighters like Khaja Nayak, Bheema Nayak and Nimjya Nayak were hanged by the British. In the same way all of us adivasis who are fighting for our freedom from  corruption and against the marginalization of our rights, should also be hanged. Then you can peacefully loot the country and sell it to thecompanies.

Har singh Jamre          Bilatibai Sulya               Layabai Jamre          Valsingh Sastia

 

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