On the eve of Independence Day, Governor Ram Naresh Yadav refused to listen to the appeal of tribal people from Mahan Sangharsh Samiti (MSS) who have been demanding protection of their rights.
Seven representatives from the MSS met the Governor at Raj Bhawan on Thursday to apprise him about the grave violations of Forest Rights Act (FRA) in Mahan forests in Singrauli. The Governor was indifferent to the issues of non implementation of the FRA as well as forgery during the Gram Sabha that was raised by MSS during this meeting.
Kanti Singh Khairwar who was a part of the MSS delegation was shocked and saddened by the way the Governor dismissed their rights. “This is the first time I left my home and travelled so far to meet the Governor but I cannot recover from the shock that the Governor refused to look at our memorandum and the Gram Sabha of resolution where our signatures were forged. If the first citizen of the State refuses to even to listen to us, then who will protect our rightsIJ We have no option but to pursue our case legally and keep our fight on,” a member of the delegation told.
Greenpeace campaigner, Priya Pillai, who accompanied the MSS members to the Raj Bhawan, expressed her disappointment after meeting the Governor. Pillai said, “The way the Governor flung the memorandum at the face of the people shows his scant regard for the constitutional rights of tribal people. Mahan Sangharsh Samiti is not deterred by this instead we are strengthened in our determination to save Mahan and its people’s rights.”