Open Letter to Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh

This is an open letter to the Chhattisgarh CM demanding the revocation of the on undemocratic ban on Moolwasi Bachao Manch, Bastar. MBM is an organisation of villagers of Bastar that has been democratically protesting at more than 30 protest sites for the past 3 years and it has recently been banned on 30th October 2024. The said open letter is signed by 113 people including members of Civil Society like Dr. Anand Teltumbde, Prof. G Haragopal, Prof Jagmohan Singh, Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, Prof. Nandita Narain as well as representatives of long standing democratic rights organisations like Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO), Civil Liberties Committee (CLC), Association For Democratic Rights (AFDR, Punjab), Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), Common Teachers Front (Delhi) and various other organisations.

Full text of the letter:

TO,
HONORABLE VISHNU DEO SAI,
CHIEF MINISTER OF CHHATTISGARH

Open Letter Condemning the undemocratic banning of Moolvasi Bachao Manch,
Bastar.

We, the undersigned concerned citizens, hereby strongly condemn the recent move of the
Chhattisgarh government’s decision to ban the Moolvasi Bachao Manch under the
Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act. This move not only undermines the constitutional
rights of Adivasi communities but also raises concern about the growing intolerance of the
government towards peaceful protests. The notification justifying the ban fails to
acknowledge the grassroots struggles of these communities, who are only defending their
homes, lands, and dignity against the onslaught of militarization and corporate exploitation in
the form of destructive mining projects.

The Moolvasi Bachao Manch has been a voice for Adivasis, resisting forced displacement,
environmental destruction, and the erosion of their cultural identity. Branding such an
organization as unlawful is an affront to the principles of democracy and an infringement on
the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. The right to freedom of speech,
peaceful assembly, and life with dignity has been trampled under the pretext of development.
However, since the past many years, reports after reports by government and civil society
organizations depict a concerning situation with barely any health care and educational
facilities being provided to the Adivasis whose displacement is justified in the name of
“development”.

Concerning is also the fact that the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA)
and 5th Schedule of the constitution which safeguards and guarantees Adivasi communities
the right to self-governance and mandates their consent for projects in their territories, is
being flagrantly violated. Gram Sabhas are either bypassed or manipulated to push through
mining projects, erasing the democratic safeguards meant to protect these communities.
This systemic disregard for their constitutional and legal rights raises serious concerns about
the government’s growing collusion with corporate interests and its willingness to sacrifice
the lives and dignity of Adivasis for profit.

The Moolwasi Bachao Manch has been peacefully and democratically protesting against
these violations of their safeguards under constitution, legal rights under PESA and their
right to life and livelihood; opposing destructive mining processes that are happening using
age-old methods like blasting and open cast, polluting rivers and environment. Chhattisgarh
government’s reliance on the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act to ban Moolwasi
Bachao Manch and silence democratic assertion of Adivasi demands is a dangerous
precedent. Laws like these belong to the dark archives of history, not in a country aspired by
its people to be democratic. The ban on the Moolvasi Bachao Manch is not just an attack on
a single organization; it is a message to all democratic movements that the government will
not tolerate opposition, no matter how peaceful or justified.

We urge you to reconsider this course of action. Revoke the ban on the Moolvasi Bachao
Manch, release its arrested members immediately and engage in dialogue with Adivasis
opposing militarization and mining processes. The path forward cannot be one of repression
and violence. Instead, it must involve listening to the voices of Adivasis, respecting their
autonomy, and upholding their rights under the Constitution as well as other democratic
rights. Militarization and corporate exploitation will only deepen the wounds and erode the
trust that is essential for any genuine dialogue or development.

We urge the Chhattisgarh government to remember the oath it took in front of the country,
and pay allegiance to its obligations to the people of the region.