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Forest dwellers allege eviction

BHOPAL: Forest dwellers from Nepanagar in Burhanpur district alleged here on Friday that they were treated as encroachers on forest land, beaten up and forcefully evicted from their villages by the State Forest department authorities.

Flanked by a small group of forest dwellers, Gopal Bhai of Adivasi Ekta Sangathan released a report on alleged atrocities committed on the forest dwellers in Burhanpur district at a Press conference in the State Capital. He accused the Central Government of playing into the hands of multinational companies and criticised the delay with regard to the notification of the Rules for the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

Mr. Gopal Bhai said the State Forest department staff was committing atrocities and force was being used to evict forest dwellers from the land occupied and tilled by them for many years. Their standing crops have been damaged and houses destroyed.

One of the forest dwellers, Ratan Bhai, told media persons that the forest personnel were also involved in looting away their belongings. Even their hen and chicken that can be sold easily and used as liquid money have been taken away by the forest staff, they alleged.

Dayaram, a school master recruited by the forest dwellers for a community school built by their own resources, said that even the makeshift school structure in their village has been demolished during the “so-called anti-encroachment drive”.

One of the tribals present at the Press conference, Damadia, had one of his eyes bandaged. He said that he was hit and injured during a firing incident.

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Forest dwellers allege eviction

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