Adani’s being close to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been obviously the most pampered corporate house. The BJP government of Jharkhand has been committed to help the industrialist in setting its shop in the state. The political activists have already launched mass awakening programme and moving around the villages to unite the poor adivasi villagers. Meanwhile the week long indefinite hunger strike by JVM-P leader and Poraiyahat MLA Pradip Yadav against Adani Group's proposed power project in Godda intensified with thousands of tribals, taking out rallies in various villages falling under the project area demanding that the ongoing land acquisition process be cancelled. Armed with traditional weapons, protesters waved black flags and shouted slogans against the ongoing land acquisition process for the power project.

In fact Godda deputy commissioner (DC) Bhuwanesh Pratap Singh said women and children were roped in by the protesters to resist the administrative move and the government employees entrusted with demarcation of land falling under the project area at different places. 'The administration has no intention of having a confrontation with protesters,' Singh said, adding that the last phase of demarcation of the land will be completed on April 21. Singh’s observation makes it candid that the government is willing to go to any extent to accomplish its commitment to Adani’s.

Interestingly supported by the BJP and state government the owners of the land acquired for the power project have also launched a campaign to counter the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik's (JVM-P) protest movement. The state administration is firmly behind these owners. The DC claimed; 'Those protesting against the power project do not represent the original stakeholders as the original land losers have already given their consent to part with their lands. They have also been holding parallel meetings to demonstrate their solidarity with the project'. The pro-power plant project meetings are held in villages under the project area.

This is a tactical ploy to ensure that the people who have sold their land must not retreat in the wake of the agitation. However the tribal leaders are sure that the administration would not succeed in its mission. In fact in the by election to the Littipara assembly constituency, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had made the land grab and eviction of adivasi as the key issue.

The Union Home ministry has already launched a vilification campaign against adivasi groups like Odisha’s Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti and Jharkhand's Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan. The home ministry in its annual report has mentioned that two outfits are linked with with ‘Maoist’ organizations.

In a petition the human rights and also political activists have rejected this assertion of Modi government. The petition oberves; “We reject the observation in the 2016-17 Annual Report of the Home ministry wherein it says, In 2016, the issue of displacement of local communities remained the main plank of mobilization by the mass organisations. In Niyamgiri Hills area (Rayagada and Kalahandi, Odisha), the outfit continued to guide the activities of the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti. Similarly in Jharkhand the Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan a front of the CPI (Maoist), tried to take up pro-tribal issues and opposed amendments to the Chhotanagpur and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Acts, modifications in Domicile Policy etc. Maoist affiliates also undertook protest programmes and resorted to anti-Government propaganda over alleged atrocities by Security Forces';

The human rights activists alleged that the Ministry is making an unfounded connection between a banned organisations and a peoples’ rights struggle; “We are constrained to note that this is a consequence of enactment of amendments in the Companies Act, 2013 through Finance Act, 2017 as a Money Bill after finance minister revealed in his budget speech that “Donors have also expressed reluctance in donating by cheque or other transparent methods as it would disclose their identity and adverse consequences”, to relieve the corporate donors and to ensure their anonymity. As a consequence of the amendment faceless entities can now make anonymous donations of infinite amount”

They underlined that instead of taking action against the business houses the MHA is defaming peoples’ struggle groups at the behest of donors of the ruling political parties. They are also quite perturbed that through an exerise in linguistic corruption, government is attempting to re-define foreign companies as ‘Indian companies’.

The petition reads; “We are aware as to how contracts and MoUs with companies is getting predence over existing laws and Constitution in Jharkhand; We are concerned to note that MHA is spreading misinformation and giving undue credit to Maoists in order to serve the interests of the anonymous corporate donors of political parties; We have learnt from different peoples movements across the country that so far Maoists have failed to save tribal land from these donors who are blinded by their naked lust for profit at any human and environmental cost unmindful of inter-generational and intra generational equity”.

It is really shocking that deliberate attempt is being to defame people's genuine struggle for their access and control over natural resources. The activists demanded that the baseless observations must be deleted from the MHA’s Annual Report in the light of Supreme Court’s observations. It is worth mentioning that villagers of Dongria Kondh had rejected the call of Maoist organisations to oppose or boycott the Gam Sabha meetings organised following Supreme Court’s order of April 2013.

They feel that such defamations are aimed at denying full rights of Adivasis under the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act and the Forest Rights Act, and Chhotanagpur and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Acts, modifications in Domicile Policy empowers them to protect their habitat, and its natural ecosystems. These laws were made after long struggle and many sacrifices. It is mos unfortunate that the state government has been using security forces to harass and torture these Adivasis who are struggling to protect their inalienable rights recognized by the Constitution.

The agitators also deprecated the tendency of the government to repress and brand dissent and protest as having Maoist connection. Even the Supreme Court has criticised this undemocratic tendency. While the struggle of the Adivasis to safeguard their inalienable natural rights and rights guaranteed by the Constitution and Parliament of India must not be vilified, the government should desist from unquestioned obedience of anonymous corporate donors to ruling parties. (IPA Service)