Ranchi meeting of Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch calls for nationwide campaign against corporate loot of Jal–Jungle–Zameen
Ranchi::In a sharp indictment of the central government’s policies towards India’s tribal population, the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has alleged that attacks on Adivasis have reached alarming levels, with the highest number of incidents reported from BJP-ruled states. The statement came at the conclusion of the Manch’s two-day National Coordination Committee meeting held in Ranchi.
Citing the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), AARM national president and Leader of Opposition in the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Jitendra Choudhury, revealed that 29 percent of all recorded violent incidents in India involve Adivasi victims — meaning 36 Adivasis face assault or harassment every day.
“This is not just data. It is a reflection of systematic oppression and state apathy,” he remarked.
According to Choudhury, while the central government publicly claims to be committed to tribal welfare, the lived reality of Adivasi communities tells a different story. “Forest land rights applications are being arbitrarily rejected, and funds earmarked for the Tribal Sub-Plan are being diverted. This is not development — it’s deliberate deprivation,” he said.
He also criticized the Jharkhand government, observing that despite the state’s large Adivasi and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) population, basic development indicators remain poor. “Jharkhand’s tribals, who should have been at the forefront of progress, continue to live in neglect,” he added.
The Manch’s national convener and former MP Pulin Bihari Baskey reminded the gathering that the organization was founded in Jharkhand 22 years ago, and today it has a presence in more than 21 states and union territories. “From forest rights to displacement, from mining pollution to corporate land grab — the Manch has been at the forefront of every major Adivasi struggle,” he said proudly.
Baskey announced that the national meeting had resolved to launch a massive nationwide movement in the coming months against corporate-friendly amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, increasing displacement due to mining, and the loot of natural resources.
“We are witnessing an organized attack on the Jal–Jungle–Zameen that sustains tribal life. The fight ahead will be both political and ecological,” he asserted.
During the meeting, members passed a resolution expressing concern over the lack of progress in the investigation into the murder of martyr Subhash Munda. The Manch demanded immediate intervention from the Jharkhand government to ensure justice. Participants also observed a two-minute silence in memory of those killed in a road accident near Bundu while returning from the Adivasi Anger Rally held a day earlier.
Among those present at the press conference were former Tamil Nadu MLA Delhi Babu, Ranchi district secretary Prakash Toppo, and Dr. Kirti Singh Munda, who echoed the need for coordinated action to defend Adivasi identity and rights.
As the meeting concluded, the delegates pledged to intensify people’s campaigns across India — to protect the constitutional and environmental rights of the country’s original inhabitants and to ensure that the voices from the forests are heard in the corridors of power.
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