The Adivasis protest against plans for mining that would destroy their Hasdeo forest. But women, above all, are beaten, arrested, raped and killed
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himOn the occasion of International Women's Day, a shocking new report comes from Survival International denouncing the brutal persecution of Adivasi women (the indigenous) who defend their lands from the rush to mining pursued by the Indian government and companies.
Not everyone knows, in fact, that precisely that race there, which includes plans to bring the coal production at one billion tons per year, focuses on six central states where 57 million indigenous people live, who depend on their land for their livelihood. And not only that: in those areas there are also their sacred places.
In all of this it is they, the Adivasi women, who play a central role in resistance to the destruction of their land and it is no coincidence, therefore, that they come for this very reason hit, arrested, raped, imprisoned and killed, while their assailants almost always act with impunity. Government agencies, police and security forces, in fact, are closely involved in initiatives aimed at terrorizing Adivasi women.
To silence dissent, the authorities resort to draconian anti-terrorism laws, and those who resist are falsely labeled as a member of the Maoist armed uprising. Since Narendra Modi came to power, the number of women accused of "sedition" has nearly tripled, Survival International said.
Here are some Adivasi women victims of state repression and their stories:
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- Hidme Markam: in 2021, during an event organized in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh for International Women's Day, she was dragged into a vehicle and taken to prison, where she is still being held. Her arrest is a punishment for her firm stand against opening a mine in a sacred place for her people, the Koya.
Villagers protesting that the government is ceding these lands to companies are imprisoned. We have lost faith in the government but will continue to fight to save our sacred lands and forests, Hidme said.
Hidme Markam © Survival
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- There's Sikaka: Dongria Khond woman targeted for her role in defending her people's sacred mountain, Kuni Sikaka was arrested and then forced to march in front of local media as a "rebel who has surrendered".
Kuni Sikaka © Survival
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- Soni Sori: Adivasi activist and leader, she was jailed, tortured, and raped, and faced defamation and harassment for urging Adivasi women to resist the violation of their lands, rights and bodies. When she was arrested as a "rebel", Soni was a teacher and activist; she in prison she suffered terrible torture and sexual violence. Upon her release, she was attacked by men who rubbed caustic paste on her face, scalding and scarring her. Soni continues to fight to end the violation of the rights and lives of the Adivasis
Soni Sori © Survival
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- Madkam Hidme: security forces took Madkam Hidme away in front of the distraught mother. Her body was returned a few days later with beating marks, wrapped in a plastic sheet. Police claim there was a "fight" in the forest and released a photo of her wearing a perfectly ironed, unblemished black jumpsuit and a gun at her side - killed, they said, after a "fierce firefight. "
Madkam Lakshmi ©Survival
The Modi government today violates our constitutional rights and is trying to sell every inch of our lands, mountains and rivers - Dayamani Barla, an adivasi leader of the state of Jharkhand, said in the report. “Not just in Jharkhand, but all over India: the Adivasis are not safe, and neither are their lands. Every centimeter of our territories is placed in the hands of companies.
©Survival International
Across central India, tens of thousands of Adivasis oppose corporate occupation of their land with incredible courage. Women are at the forefront of this resistance and because of their courage they are abused, imprisoned and killed on a large scale, concludes Jo Woodman, researcher with Survival International.
HERE the complete report.
Fonte: Survival International
