feeds from sacw.net
print versionPress Release: 200+ Organizations and Individuals from over 20 states write an open letter to the President of India expressing concern over the wave of unconstitutional demolitions, evictions, and mob violence in Uttarakhand
Her Excellency, The President
Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi
Madam,
We are people’s organizations and common people from various states of India. Madam, we write because we have come to understand that the State of Uttarakhand – a state whose beauty, harmony, and history of democratic values are well known – has been witnessing an orchestrated wave of unconstitutional and illegal demolitions, evictions, and incidents of mob violence over the last two months. We condemn the role of the government in this hate-filled campaign and call for immediate action to protect the lives and property of innocent people and the values of our Constitution.
From their struggles against the British Raj to Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali, from the Tiladi rebellion to the Chipko movement, the history and experiences of the people of Uttarakhand have always been an inspiration to our country. However, at present, our country’s democratic values and Constitutional provisions are being continuously violated in this otherwise peaceful state:
- On April 7th, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand publicly claimed, with no evidence, that the state is facing the threat of "Land Jihad.” Such an openly communal statement is against our Constitution. This type of propaganda is particularly condemnable when the Government itself had opened the door to the theft of land by amending Uttarakhand’s land laws in 2018.
- On the basis of this communal claim, the state administration then formed a committee in every district and began demolishing hundreds of religious sites in addition to the homes of common people. Decades-old or hundred-year-old religious sites, especially mazars (Sufi shrines), were demolished without any legal process. This is despite the fact that centuries-old religious sites, by definition, cannot be considered encroachments.
- Meanwhile, thousands of people residing in and dependent on the forest have been served illegal notices in the state without implementing the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Trenches have been dug around Van Gujjar villages. The administration has been openly claiming that lakhs of people are going to be evicted.
- In addition to the statement of the Chief Minister and these administrative measures, hate speech and mob violence has also increased. Violent incidents and hate speeches have taken place in Dehradun, Tiuni, Chakrata, Purola, and Imlikheda in the months of April and May this year. In the Purola area of Uttarkashi district, 42 minority families were forced to flee on May 28, according to newspaper reports. Their shops have remained closed. This criminal campaign has also been promoted in neighbouring towns for over a week, and the district headquarters in Uttarkashi witnessed a bandh with similar hate speeches. However, no steps to stop this campaign from the police administration are visible. On 30 May, 23 Supreme Court lawyers urged the government to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court on hate speech and mob violence, terming the government’s inaction as contempt of court. Even after this letter, two further incidents have since happened.
This type of violent, hate filled atmosphere has never existed in the state of Uttarakhand. We demand that these illegal demolitions be fully investigated, that damaged homes and shrines are fully rebuilt, and that strict action is taken against those officers found responsible. We call on the government to ensure that the decisions of the Supreme Court on mob violence be followed; the Forest Rights Act is implemented in every village of the state; that administrative functions are completely fair and unbiased; and no family is rendered homeless. The real development of the state can happen only through these principles. The ongoing hate-filled efforts will only harm our country.
Therefore, we request you, the primary guardian of the Constitution, to instruct the government and administration that it is their highest duty to run the government according to the rule of law and the values of our Constitution.
Signatories:
- Himdhara Collective
- Bihar Ambedkar Student’s Forum (BASF)
- National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)
- Spiti Civil Society
- Indian Community Activists’ Network (ICAN)
- Satyashodhak Mahila Prabodhini, Wardha
- MNREGA Mazdoor Union, Varanasi
- Dindori Yuva Shakti Sangathan
- Youth for Himalaya
- Adibasi Bikash Samanaya Samiti
- Taaza Khabar, Jharkhand
- Loktantrik Adhikar Manch, Madhya Pradesh
- National Foundation for Social Development
- Seemanchal Library Foundation
- Jay Adivashi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), Madhya Pradesh
- Dalit Adhikar Abhiyan
- Khet Mazdoor Kisan Sangram Samiti Jaunpur
- Ganga Mukti Andolan
- Desh Bhagat Sport and Cultural Society
- Khudai Khidmatgaar
- Bundelkhand Dalit Adhikar Manch (BDAM)
- Aarambh Yuva Manch
- Humkisan Sangathan
- Initiative for Social Inclusion and Change
- Afkar India Foundation
- Zindabad Sangathan
- Kisan Sangharsh Sameeti Chhindwara
- Gondwana Student Union
- Nagrik Ekta Manch
- Samgrshala, Ajmer
- Azad Shiksha Kendra
- Sangtin Kisan Majdoor Sangathan
- Disha Foundation
- Bebaak Collective
- Uttarakhand Kranti Dal
- Satyashodhak Democratic Party
- Chamba Van Adhikar Manch
- Uttarakhand Van Panchayat Sangharsh Morcha
- Himachal Lok Jagriti Manch, Kinnaur, HP
- Gaurav Gramin Mahila Vikas Manch
- Dalit Adhikar Abhiyan, Chhattisgarh
- People for Peace and Change
- Pratinidhi Sanstha Lucknow
- CPB (Communist Party Bharat)
- Bihar Ambedkar Students Forum Jamui
- Shramjivi Sanghatna Marathwada Vibhag
- Bihar Ambedkar Vidyarthi Manch
- Janvadi Lekhak Sangh, Madhya Pradesh
- Rajesh Kanoje, Adivasi Mukti Sanghathan, MP
- Avaidh Khanan Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti
- Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sangathan
- MAKAAM, Maharashtra
- Lokshahi Jaagar Samiti
- Van Panchayat Sangharsh Morcha
- Bebaak Collective
- Aasra The Hope Trust
- Rashtra Seva Dal/NAPM
- Punjabi Literary and Cultural Association
- FSMM
- HRMF India
- Insaf Bulletin
- Forum Against Oppression of Women
- Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan Rajasthan
- Savitribai Phule Fatima Shaikh Samuh
- Platform for Social Justice
- Neki Ghar Charitable Trust, Jaunpur Uttar Pradesh
- Rashtra Seva Dal
- Jay Adivasi Yuva Sangathan
- TCA, Varanasi
- Lokadhikar, Delhi
- Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch
- Paigam Network
- Rajeev Yadav, Rihai Manch
- Teesta Setalvad, Citizens for Justice and Peace
- Dr. Bharat Patankar, Shramik Mukti Dal
- Bijay Bhai, Bharat Jan Andolan
- Liyakat Ali Van Gurjjar, Van Gurjar Yuva Sangathan
- Vinod Badoni, Chetna Andolan
- Sachin Shrivastava, Samvidhan Live
- Ashish Ranjan, NAPM
- Upendra Shankar, Jaldhara Abhiyan
- Sadhana Yadav, Disha Sangathan
- Krishnakant Chauhan, PUCL-Surat
- Yogesh/IIM Ahmedabad
- Jagadish Khairauliya, Shramik Janta Sangh
- Anuradha Banerji, Saheli Women’s Resource Centre
- Vivek Kumar Sharma, Disha Foundation, Jaunpur
- Rajim Ketvas, Dalit Adivasi Panch Pithora
- Aarzoo, Awadh Peoples Forum
- Dr. Digvijay Singh Maravi, JAYS, Madhya Pradesh
- Ratik Asokan, India Civil Watch International
- Shivraj, Samta Yuva Manch Sitapur
- Sachi Hegde, PUCL Karnataka
- Gopal Lodhiyal, Uttarakhand Van Panchayat Sangharsh Morcha
- Mohammad Shafi, Uttarakhand Van Panchayat Sangharsh Morcha
- Mahipal Mohan, Yuva Chetna Sangathan
- Ghufran, UP Land Right Forum
- Shashank Shekhar, Jan Mukti Sangharsh Vahini (Jasva)
- Krishnakant Chauhan, PUCL, Surat
- Lara Jesani, People’s Union for Civil Liberties
- Narendra Mohanty, Campaign Against Fabricated Cases, (CAFC),Odisha
- Tejasvita, Nir Himalayan
- Puran Singh Rawal, Zila Adhyaksh, Ban Panchayat Sarpanch Sangathan, Bageshwar
- Pradesh Adyaksh, Panchayat Sangathan, Uttarakhand Rajya
- Ram Kumar, Dyneic Action Group, UP
- Nomaan Hasan, Brown University
- Ammu Abraham, Forum Against Oppression of Women
- Deepak Kabir, IPTA & Dastak youth
- Vikas, JAYS
- Dr. Kamaxi Bhate, Forum Against Oppression of Women
- Nausherva Aadil, Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan
- Sachin Rawat, Kranti Band
- Moulana Azad Vichar Manch
- Sahayogi Seva Sansthan
- Nishan Publication
- Vivek Pawar
- Kanupriya
- Sumit Guria
- Vidya Apte
- Sujata Gothoskar
- Dr. R.K. Moon
- Samiksha Ganvir
- Rajesh Ramakrishnan
- Asimbe
- Runu, Independent activist
- Rakshit Parmar
- Dev Desai
- Ashish Kajla
- Mahi
- Ramnarayan K, Independent Citizen
- Mohammad Ishak Van Gujjar
- Students of York University
- Adv. P.R. Salvi
- Chandan Saroj
- Tashi Chhewang
- Zaheeb Ajmal
- Soma KP, Independent Researcher
- Shahida
- Darshand
- Vivek Negi
- Shamshad Gujjar
- Nivedita Jha
- Sandhya Gokhale
- Vilas Bhongade
- Subhash Nago Bhil
- Khursheed Alam
- Chunila Bramhane
- Nagmani Rao
- Dayanand Kanakdande
- Vandana Kulkarni
- Indra Mohan Negi
- Vikrant Sidhu
- Geeta Verma, Independent Consultant
- Prakash Thakare
- Mukhtiar Singh
- Harnek Dhaliwal
- Md. Abdul Aleem Ansari
- Imran Ansari
- Matiur Rehman
- Ahmed Ateeq
- Qamar Intekhab, Social Activist
- P. Rohini Rajasekaran
- Rubina Khan
- Prachi
- Anupama Hegde
- Bhanwar Meghwanshi
- Bigneshwar Sahu, Media Organisation
- Mujahid Nafees
- Elin Lakra
- Dev Desai
- Vikash Kumar
- Salomi Ekka
- Nasiruddin
- Taniya Laskar
- Aravind Unni
- Sabah Khan
- Sidharth Bhatt
- Meena Gopal
- Chayanika Shah
- Arvind Murti
- Akriti
- Richa
- Mubshira khan
- Feroze Mithiborwala
- Imtiyaz Ahmad
- Manu Chowdhuri
- Yasmeen Aga
- Jang Hindustani
- Jagriti Rahi
- Sangeeta Joshi
- Mukta Srivastava
- Rajeev Chakranarayan
- Ayodhya Singh
- Flavia Agnes
- Cordula Kujur
- Manju Lata
- Sangeeta Saraf
- Rajesh Ramakrishnan
- Atul Sati
- Arjun Chouhan
- Tushar Kavde
