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It is an anti-mining protest that has gone on for more than 100 days and the tribal inhabitants of this corner of Maharashtra, on the border of Chhattisgarh, are in no hurry to give up. They have dug in at their dera, or campsite, for a struggle sustained only by the determination to secure their rights and meagre resources supplemented by the forests that they are fighting to protect.
It was on March 11 this year that the residents of a cluster of about 50 villages lying within a 25-km radius of Torgatta village in Etapalli town launched the protest against the proposed Damkondwahi mining project. They are also against the planned lease of six compartments at the nearby Surjagarh mining site. It is a fight they are familiar with. The locals had objected to iron-ore mining in Surjagarh, about 15 km from Etapalli taluka, but have over the past few years seen the project not only get underway but also quickly expand.
Protesters say the Surjagarh mines – whose capacity has been expanded by almost three times since excavations began – quickly brought home the impact such large-scale projects can have on the environment. They blame the mines for dust and water pollution, damage to crops and health issues.
The sentiment prevailing among the protesters can thus be gauged by a banner in Torgatta village that declares: “Yeh yuddh na toh humne prarambh kiya hai, na yeh hamare jeevan ke saath samapt hoga (neither did we start this battle and nor will it end with our lives)”. It was put up by the Paramparik Ilaaka Ghotul Samiti, Surjagarh, on the very first day of the protest that is being led by the Damkondwahi Bachao Kruti Samiti.
According to Pandurang Korsa, a protester, the government is least concerned about the problems of the tribal people. “In the past, we were lured withmany false promises,” says Korsa. He claims that like in Etapalli and Alapalli, mining will lead to adverse consequences in Damkondwahi.
The protesters mainly belong to the Madia tribe, one of the 75 communities in India categorised by the governmentas a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG). Dependent on the forest for their livelihood, the protesters have now decided to present their plight before President Droupadi Murmu, who is scheduled to visit the area on July 4-5.
“Our President, too, is a tribal andthat is why she has to pay heed to our issues. The Madias have been facing various forms of oppression that she can’t ignore,” said Rakesh Alam. The protesters are seeking a written assurance from the government that the project will be scrapped along with the plans for the construction of roads, police stations, and mobile towers in the area.
“When the government is not taking the consent of the gram sabha, it means the road is not for the development of the village, but for mining purposes. When the government wants a police station, although there are no crimes, then it’s again for mining,” alleges Pradeep Hedaw of Mohondi village.
The protesters are accusing the government of hijacking the powers of the gram sabha to decide on development works in tribal areas. They claim the government is violating the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, or PESA, which was enacted to ensure self-governance through gram sabhas in Scheduled Areas like Gadchiroli.
Shankar Atram says the tribals will have to keep protesting, else a road will be laid, followed by a police station and, finally, mining. “Mining will bring evils like pollution, accidents, rape, and every other crime to places where they are unheard of now. ”
But if on one hand is the need to preserve their way of life, there is the question of livelihoods on the other. The protesters acknowledge that some villages in Etapalli taluka are not supporting the protest as their families work in the mines. Mangesh Narote, though, is confident that this stance will change.
“Ultimately, they too would join us after realising their mistake. They don’t understand that the natural resources of the entire taluka are getting destroyed, the ecosystem is being irreversibly damaged. Such environmental changes will make survival difficult for all,” he says.
For now, getting the government to accede to their demands remains an uphill task and there is much to contend with.
Manisha Mattami says the protesters are being labelled as anti-government and outlaws in this area known for the presence of Naxals – Narote has been accused by the police of inciting people and disturbing the peace – but she maintains that they “will continue with the protest for the larger good of society and the tribal people”.
Armed with phones but no power
Torgatta village in Gadchiroli’s Etapalli taluka is home to 54 families comprising about 250 members. But as the centre of the anti-mining protest, it is now playing host to a few hundred other tribals who camp here by turns.
The protesters haven’t budged from Torgatta since March 11. Their number keeps fluctuating per the seasonal requirements and livelihood compulsions.
“Some protesters have returned home to collect tendu leaves, mahua flowers and seeds, and for sowing and harvesting. They will be back in Torgatta after a fortnight to relieve us,” said Suresh Pottami, a protester. At the dera or camping site, the shelters have thatched roofs supported by tree branches, while plastic sheets or mats serve as floors. The protesters sleep on planks above the ground to avoid the worms and snakes slipping out of the rain-soaked soil.
Electricity supply is patchy, so oil lamps and phone flashlights are often the only sources of light at night. Phones are also the tribals’ only window to the outside world, via WhatsApp and other social media. But television remains a luxury. When the power supply fails, charging a phone from tractor batteries can take almost a whole day.
It was on March 11 this year that the residents of a cluster of about 50 villages lying within a 25-km radius of Torgatta village in Etapalli town launched the protest against the proposed Damkondwahi mining project. They are also against the planned lease of six compartments at the nearby Surjagarh mining site. It is a fight they are familiar with. The locals had objected to iron-ore mining in Surjagarh, about 15 km from Etapalli taluka, but have over the past few years seen the project not only get underway but also quickly expand.
Protesters say the Surjagarh mines – whose capacity has been expanded by almost three times since excavations began – quickly brought home the impact such large-scale projects can have on the environment. They blame the mines for dust and water pollution, damage to crops and health issues.
The sentiment prevailing among the protesters can thus be gauged by a banner in Torgatta village that declares: “Yeh yuddh na toh humne prarambh kiya hai, na yeh hamare jeevan ke saath samapt hoga (neither did we start this battle and nor will it end with our lives)”. It was put up by the Paramparik Ilaaka Ghotul Samiti, Surjagarh, on the very first day of the protest that is being led by the Damkondwahi Bachao Kruti Samiti.
According to Pandurang Korsa, a protester, the government is least concerned about the problems of the tribal people. “In the past, we were lured withmany false promises,” says Korsa. He claims that like in Etapalli and Alapalli, mining will lead to adverse consequences in Damkondwahi.
The protesters mainly belong to the Madia tribe, one of the 75 communities in India categorised by the governmentas a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG). Dependent on the forest for their livelihood, the protesters have now decided to present their plight before President Droupadi Murmu, who is scheduled to visit the area on July 4-5.
“Our President, too, is a tribal andthat is why she has to pay heed to our issues. The Madias have been facing various forms of oppression that she can’t ignore,” said Rakesh Alam. The protesters are seeking a written assurance from the government that the project will be scrapped along with the plans for the construction of roads, police stations, and mobile towers in the area.
“When the government is not taking the consent of the gram sabha, it means the road is not for the development of the village, but for mining purposes. When the government wants a police station, although there are no crimes, then it’s again for mining,” alleges Pradeep Hedaw of Mohondi village.
The protesters are accusing the government of hijacking the powers of the gram sabha to decide on development works in tribal areas. They claim the government is violating the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, or PESA, which was enacted to ensure self-governance through gram sabhas in Scheduled Areas like Gadchiroli.
Shankar Atram says the tribals will have to keep protesting, else a road will be laid, followed by a police station and, finally, mining. “Mining will bring evils like pollution, accidents, rape, and every other crime to places where they are unheard of now. ”
But if on one hand is the need to preserve their way of life, there is the question of livelihoods on the other. The protesters acknowledge that some villages in Etapalli taluka are not supporting the protest as their families work in the mines. Mangesh Narote, though, is confident that this stance will change.
“Ultimately, they too would join us after realising their mistake. They don’t understand that the natural resources of the entire taluka are getting destroyed, the ecosystem is being irreversibly damaged. Such environmental changes will make survival difficult for all,” he says.
For now, getting the government to accede to their demands remains an uphill task and there is much to contend with.
Manisha Mattami says the protesters are being labelled as anti-government and outlaws in this area known for the presence of Naxals – Narote has been accused by the police of inciting people and disturbing the peace – but she maintains that they “will continue with the protest for the larger good of society and the tribal people”.
Armed with phones but no power
Torgatta village in Gadchiroli’s Etapalli taluka is home to 54 families comprising about 250 members. But as the centre of the anti-mining protest, it is now playing host to a few hundred other tribals who camp here by turns.
The protesters haven’t budged from Torgatta since March 11. Their number keeps fluctuating per the seasonal requirements and livelihood compulsions.
“Some protesters have returned home to collect tendu leaves, mahua flowers and seeds, and for sowing and harvesting. They will be back in Torgatta after a fortnight to relieve us,” said Suresh Pottami, a protester. At the dera or camping site, the shelters have thatched roofs supported by tree branches, while plastic sheets or mats serve as floors. The protesters sleep on planks above the ground to avoid the worms and snakes slipping out of the rain-soaked soil.
Electricity supply is patchy, so oil lamps and phone flashlights are often the only sources of light at night. Phones are also the tribals’ only window to the outside world, via WhatsApp and other social media. But television remains a luxury. When the power supply fails, charging a phone from tractor batteries can take almost a whole day.
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