Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Samaj Chetna Manch Dabhaura about the demolition drive against Dalit and tribal settlements in Chhipiya and Khaiaha Nala, In Java block of Rewa District, Madhya Pradesh. The AHRC has been informed that the administration has threatened them with eviction against its own repeated assurances of giving land deeds to the residents who have been living in the villages for more than two decades.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Adivasi and Dalit families in Chhipiya and Khairaha Nala in Gram Panchayat Kota have been threatened with forced demolition and eviction by the administration. The residents have been lived in the village for more than two decades. This is evidenced by the fact that they are registered voters and have exercised their voting rights in more than four parliamentary and assembly elections as residents of the area. Some of them even have land deeds provided to them back in 2011. The government authorities have provided the village with two public hand pumps for drinking water. The villagers have planted more than 250 trees during throughout their time there. Chhipiya has a total population of 321 and Khairaha Nala has a total population of 287.
These threats come two years after the local administration has demolished 3 concrete houses and 5 huts without any prior notice in 2012. The issue was taken up both by civil society and media resulting in the Madhya Pradesh Scheduled Tribes Commission to take up the issue. Ramlal Rautel, the chairperson of the commission, visited the hamlets and took the Tehsildar for task demolishing the houses without prior notice. The case is still pending in the commission.
Now, the local landlords and other vested interests have started conspiring again for evicting the Dalits and Adivasis and gain control of the lands. They seem to have succeeded as the Patari (revenue official) verbally informed the villagers yesterday, 7 September 2014, to remove their possessions voluntarily as the demolition drive will start on 8 September (today) to be completed 10 September. There are 103 houses and huts in Chhipiya and 61 in Khairaha Nala. The hamlets have no Anganvadi centre as mandated by the Supreme Court. Neither does it has any other facilities.
The authorities have been lax at ensuring that families living in rural areas getting all their entitlements. Instead, they have often gone back on their word; the incumbent government, which in its elecioneering had promised families land leases to the land on which they were already living, are now doing the exact opposite. Threatening eviction and demolition without prior notice.
Some of the residents going to get affected are named hereafter
1. Kodulal Kol
2. Baramdin Kol
3. Basantlal Kol
4. Buddhilal Kol
5. Ramrati Kol
6. Sushil Devi Kol
7. Urmila Devi Kol
8. Sunita
9. Chameliya
10. Sangam
11. Pramila
12. Kalavati
13. Jhullur
14. Devi
15. Hira
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below, demanding intervention to ensure that the demolitions are stopped immediately. You may also ask them to ensure that all services are provided to the community.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
INDIA: Halt demolition of Dalit and Tribal Hamlets in Chhipiya and Khaiaha Nala
Identities of the Victims:
1. Kodulal Kol
2. Baramdin Kol
3. Basantlal Kol
4. Buddhilal Kol
5. Ramrati Kol
6. Sushil Devi Kol
7. Urmila Devi Kol
8. Sunita
9. Chameliya
10. Sangam
11. Pramila
12. Kalavati
13. Jhullur
And 321 persons in Chhipiya and 287 in Khairaha nala
Identities of the Perpetrators: Local government authorities
Place & Time of Incident: GP Kota, Java, Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, 7 September 2014 ongoing
I am writing to you with concern over government authorities threatening Adivasi and Dalit families in Chhipiya and Khairaha Nala in Gram Panchayat Kota with forced demolition and eviction. Worryingly, they have not served any written notice and are informed of the threat only by a verbal communiqué. The residents have been settled in the village for more than two decades. The tenure of their settlement is proved by the fact that they are registered voters and have exercised their voting rights in more than four parliamentary and assembly elections. The government authorities have also provided the village with two public hand pumps for drinking water. The villagers have also planted more than 250 trees over their tenancy. Chhipiya has a total population of 321 out of which 282 are children. Similarly, Khairaha Nala has a total population of 287 of which 109 are children.
The threats come two years after 2012 when the local administration has demolished 3 concrete houses and 5 huts without any prior notice. The issue was taken up both by civil society and media resulting in the Madhya Pradesh Schedule Tribes Commission taking the cognisance of the issue. Ramlal Rautel, the chairperson of the commission, had then visited the hamlets and took the Tehsildar for task demolishing the houses without prior notice. The case is still ongoing in the commission.
Now, the locally vested interests have started conspiring again for evicting the Dalits and Adivasis and gain control of the lands. They seem to have succeeded as the Patari (revenue official) verbally informed the villagers yesterday, on 07 September 2014, to remove their possessions voluntarily as the demolition drive will start on 08 September (today) and will be acrried out until 10 September. There are 103 houses and huts in Chhipiya and 61 in Khairaha Nala. The hamlets have no Anganvadi centre as mandated by the Supreme Court. Neither does it has any other facilities.
In fact, the authorities have been lax at ensuring that the families living in rural areas getting all their entitlements. Rather, they have often gone back on their word like the incumbent government which had promised land lease to families living on them for years in its election manifesto. It had also added a new section number 162 to regularize all long time encroachments (purposefully done for residential and agricultural purposes) through amendment in land revenue code 1959 was added on 13th September 2013 in its previous tenure. Most importantly, the implementation of this clause was a part of 100 days agenda of Madhya Pradesh Government. The hamlets in Rewa are entitled for regularization under this amendment. Yet, the government has reneged on its promise and is evicting people without even prior notice, forget rehabilitation.
I therefore urge you to ensure that
1. The demolition and eviction operation is immediately stopped;
2. An enquiry is conducted to ascertain those responsible and prosecute them;
3. Basic amenities like Anganvadi centre are extended to the villages;
4. An independent inquiry is set up to investigate the process for forceful eviction in this case as it violates section 162 of Madhya Pradesh Land Revenue Code, 1959; and
5. No eviction/demolition drives are carried out in any form without having a legal framework for giving housing rights and dignity to the affected families.
Sincerely,
_______
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1.Shri Narendra Modi
Prime Minster
Government of India
Room No. 148 B, South block,
New Delhi
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 230116857; 23015603
2. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi 110001
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 2338 4863
E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in
3. Thaawar Chand Gehlot,
Minister,
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
Government of India
Shastri Bhawan,
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg, New Delhi
INDIA
Ph: +91 11- 23381001 and
Fax: +91 11-23014432
E-mail: min-sje@sb.nic.in
4. Chairperson,
National Commission for Scheduled Castes,
Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market,
New Delhi – 110003
INDIA
FAX: 91-11-24632298
Email: chairman-ncsc@nic.in
5. Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Chief Minister
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: + 91 755 2441781; 2540501
Email : cm@mp.nic.in
6. Shri Anthony JC DeSa
Chief Secretary,
Government of Madhya Pradesh,
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh,
India.
Fax: +91 755 2441751; 2441521
Email: cs@mp.nic.in
7. Shri Rahul Jain
District Collector
Collectorate
Rewa
Madhya Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: 07662-242806
Email : dmrewa@mp.nic.in
Thank you
Hunger Alerts Programme
Right to Food Programme (foodjustice@ahrc.asia)
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
