NEW DELHI / AGARTALA, Nov 21 (TIWN): Former MP Jitendra Chaudhury, National Convener of Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch while speaking on the occasion of “Parliament March of Adivasi & Traditional Forest Dwellers to Save the Forest Rights Act 2009” has hit the Modi Govt over its attempts to snatch indigenous people’s lands. Speaking in Hindi at Delhi, Choudhury said, “Modi Govt is intriguing to break down Forest Rights Act to snatch indigenous people’s rights. We must stand against this attempt of the Govt, which is keeping eye on those people’s lands who are living on those lands for centuries”. He raised voice saying, who are these indigenous people to India one has to know first. “The indigenous or Adibasi people are as old as the rivers and forests. The Adivasi people have secured the land of the forest and safeguarded them. They are those people who are doing agriculture on those lands for long. But the present Govt which is ruling the country are against all rights of the indigenous people. The Forest Rights Act was implemented in 2006 and even after crossing more than a decade, the Forest Right could not be benefited to the indigenous people till day”, he said.

“On February 13, Supreme Court gave verdict to remove those indigenous people who don’t have land in Forest but that hard decision was taken as Modi Govt did not send its lawyer to the Supreme Court”, said Jitendra Choudhury.

https://youtu.be/Oc1WWE8tupg See Jitendra Choudhury's speech in TIWN YouTube link

“The Govt has only one aim which is to handover those lands to the corporates like Ambani”, he added.

Jitendra Choudhury further told Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch members that their voices will not be heard by the Govt and thus strong movements statewide have to be started that the Govt must be bound to listen to the demands of the indigenous people.

“Raise your voice. We will fight for our rights but will not leave our lands”, Choudhury told media.