CPI-ML New Democracy, Land Struggles

14th September 2016 : CPI(ML)New Democracy Protest at Telengana Bhawan against Attack on Adivasis’ Land by TRS Govt.

On 14th September, Delhi Committee of CPI(ML) New Democracy organized a protest at Telengana Bhawan against the TRS Govt. in Telengana . This Govt. is attacking the podu lands and even the patta lands in the forests which are being cultivated by the adivasis. The TRS Govt. is acting in the name of protecting forest and is uprooting those who for centuries have lived in these forests and been both its inhabitants and its protectors. The irony is even more pronounced when it is remembered that the Telengana Govt. tamely allowed 7 mandals of predominantly forest area to be axed from Telengana to be drowned for the Polavaram Project though this was opposed by the entire spectrum of the movement for Telengana State including the TRS. The forests of Telengana are anyway covered under Schedule V of the Constitution and are directly under the protection of the President of India. The TRS Govt. has no right to seize the land of the adivasis.

Protestors gathered a short distance away from Telengana Bhawan and marched towards it holding up red flags and posters and raising slogans. The posters condemned the police actions against Adivasis in Telengana, burning of their huts, destruction of standing crops, beatings and lathi charges on protesting adivasis false cases and arrests especially in Khammam and Warangal Districts. They also protested against the targeting of CPI(ML) New Democracy leaders there  by the Telengana Govt. because these stood with the struggle of the adivasis. They raised slogans against the TRS Govt. which had falsely promised to give 3 acres of land to all adivasis. Many students, leaders of the Indian federation of Trade Unions and PMS also participated along with several intellectuals on behalf of Janhastakshep. The police had barricaded the entrance of the Telengana Bhavan and also stood guard in large numbers around the barricades. Within minutes of the rally reaching the entrance the police swooped down and pulled the activists into waiting police vans even trying to prevent them from speaking to the Press which had come to cover the programme. Over 100 people were arrested and detained at Parliament Street Police Station from where they were let off only in the evening. Among them was the spokesperson of the Delhi Party, Com. Mrigank, Coms. Aparna and Animesh from the IFTU and several intellectuals from Janhastakshep.

Com. Mrigank led a delegation under police escort to submit a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister of the state to the Resident Commissioner of the Telengana Govt. Many intellectuals had also signed this memorandum, including Dr Biswajeet Mohanty (Deshbandu College Delhi University); Dr Srinivas, Dr Amitabh Sarkar (Centre of Social Medicine), Ms Jyoti  Bhosale, G. Anurima (Professor & Chairperson, Centre for Women Studies), Dr, Tiplut Nongbrai (Professor, Centre for Study of Social Systems), Dr. P.K. Lobiyal, Prof. School of Computer and System Sciences, Dr. Bhagat Oinam, Chairperson, Centre for Media Studies- all  teachers at JNU; Prof. Ish Mishra Convenor Janhastakshep and teaching in Hindu College ( Delhi University).