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The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department last week demolished the homes of several tribal families using bulldozers in the Morena district of MP. The incident occurred near the Karahdham Ashram of the district. Local reports state that the tribals were also forcefully evicted from the place. The action was taken jointly by the Forest Department and the Noorabad Police Station in the last week, reported Dainik Bhaskar.
Local residents told Dainik Bhaskar that the tribals had been residing at the Karahdham Ashram. But, they had also moved to the nearby land adjacent to the ashram to settle. This information led forest department officials to take action, they said. However, the tribals claim that they have been living there for the past three generations.
They allege that the Forest Department officials and Noorabad Police seized their belongings, including utensils and clothing, leaving them without means to eat or dress. Moreover, the tribal women present at the scene told Dainik Bhaskar that they were subjected to violence and physical abuse by forest officials and the police.
Two reports from The Free Press Journal on the incident dated August 27 quote different figures on the number of families affected by demotion. While one report states that the houses of 20 families were demolished, the other reported that 150 tribal families lost shelter. The Dainik Bhaskar report quotes no figures at all.
Protest
Following the bulldozing, the tribals staged protests and sit-ins on Saturday, reported The Free Press Journal.
As per local reports, Raghuraj Kansana, the Chairman of Backward Classes and Minority Finance and Development Corporation visited the protesting tribals and called out the forest department’s action as unfair. He reassured the tribals that they would be shifted to another location.
Following this, Ravindra Singh Mavai, a legislator from Congress, reached the spot and promised assistance for the tribals, as per Dainik Bhaskar. Reportedly, officials from District and police administration officials also have assured food arrangements, along with the promise of re-establishing the tribals in their preferred place of settlement.
The officials' response to the incident is that the tribals had recently arrived from outside. Further adding, that they lacked identification documents such as Aadhar cards or voter IDs.
Neither do they possess any proof to establish their residency in Morena. Divisional Forest Officer Swaroop Dixit stated that the indigenous people had arrived recently and were attempting to forcibly occupy forest department land, necessitating their removal. He denied the accusations of assaulting women and children, calling them completely false.
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