The Mahan Sangharsh Samiti (MSS) supported by prominent members of civil society organisations urged the Indian Government not to trample upon the rights of the forest dwelling communities of the Mahan region in Madhya Pradesh to benefit corporate giants.
Both the State as well as the Central Government should take immediate steps to ensure that the Forest Rights Act (FRA) is implemented.
The demand came close on the heels of a massive crackdown on the people's movement against Essar and Hindalco's proposed coal mine by the local police in Singrauli which included the arrest of two Greenpeace activists from their sleep on Tuesday.
Hardayal Singh Gond, resident of Amelia village and member of MSS, said: "The Mahan forest is what we have depended on for generations and the administration never once spoke to us about our rights, now they want to take it away from us, and give it to the mining company and scare us into accepting money. This jungle is our life, how will our children and their children survive without itIJ We are not scared. We are prepared to fight for our rights and to protect the forest."
The proposed coal mine is bound to destroy the livelihoods of more than 50,000 villagers of over 54 villages.
Forest rights activist Madhu Sarin, who was also a member of the technical support group appointed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, for drafting the Forest Rights Act, said, "The FRA was enacted to undo the historical injustice to forest dwelling communities by recognising their pre-existing rights, which were never recognised when their lands were declared as State forest. Therefore, the first requirement is that as per the FRA, the Gram Sabha must initiate the process of receiving the claims and recognising both individual and community forest rights."