Anti-development? No concrete reason cited for banning Moolwasi Bachao Manch under draconian law

Counterview Desk

Forum Against Corporatization And Militarization (FACAM)* statement condemning the ban imposed on the Moolwasi Bachao Manch:

***

It has come to our attention that the Home Ministry of Chhattisgarh Government, via a circular dated 30 October 2024 has banned Moolwasi Bachao Manch, Bastar, stating it to be an unlawful and anti development organization. The ban has been initiated under section 3 of the draconian Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act (CSPSA). This circular does not cite any concrete reasons for the same.

Moolwasi Bachao Manch is a democratic mass organization of adivasi peasants in Bastar fighting against corporate loot and the subsequent militarization happening to serve the corporate loot. Moolwasi Bachao Manch was formed after a paramilitary camp was set up overnight on the intervening night of 13th May, 2021 and 4 adivasi people were killed by paramilitary personnel in the protest against the same on 17th May, 2021. Since then, Moolwasi Bachao Manch has been in a sit-in protest at Silger and also organized 30 different protest sites in Bastar against paramilitary camps, fake encounter killings, mass arrests of adivasi peasants and aerial bombings happening in Bastar, for more than 3 years.

Speaking to FACAM, adivasi leader Soni Sori asked "What is the basis of banning Moolwasi Bachao Manch? Who forced the Adivasis of Bastar to form it? ''If the Government listened to the demands of the Adivasis, stopped mining and building camps, instead of killing four people in Silger, MBM wouldn't have been needed". Stressing on the importance of organizations like MBM and the need to defend them, she added, "We need to save MBM because it is the only mass organization fighting in the interest of Adivasis of Bastar and struggling to save Jal-Jungle-Jameen and the existence of Adivasis". She asserted that we must stand in solidarity with MBM, build a solidarity movement on ground as well as challenge the government's dictat of ban in court.

The arbitrary ban on a democratic mass organisation through the draconian CSPSA as well the ongoing mass arrests of its members including Sunita Pottam and Surju Tekam under false and fabricated cases in the past months, goes onto show that the government is putting up a facade of peace talks with armed maoist when it cannot even engage in talks with unarmed democratic mass movement of the adivasi peasantry against corporate loot and militarisation and bans their organization.

Forum Against Corporatization And Militarisation (FACAM) strongly condemns the ban on Moolwasi Bachao Manch and demands the following-

- Revoke the ban on Moolwasi Bachao Manch.

- Release all its members arrested in fabricated and false cases.

- Engage in talks with the Moolwasi Bachao Manch on their demands.

We also request all democratically minded people to raise their voice against the arbitrary ban on Moolwasi Bachao Manch and demand the revocation of the ban.

---

*Constituents:

All India Revolutionary Students Organization (AIRSO), All India
Students Association (AISA), All India Revolutionary Women’s
Organization (AIRWO), Ambedkar Student Association- DU (ASA-DU), Bhim
Army Student Federation (BASF), Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students
Organization (BASO), Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM),
Collective, Common Teachers Forum (CTF), Democratic Students Union
(DSU), Fraternity Movement, Nazariya Magazine, Progressive Lawyers
Association (PLA), Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS), Trade Union Centre
of India (TUCI), Vishwavidyalaya Chhatra Federation (VCF)

Comments

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

Relevance of historical foot marches like Dandi and Salt march in achieving developmental goals in India

By Bharat Dogra India has a great tradition of organizing foot marches, including some which become historically very important, the most obvious example being the Dandi Salt March under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi which is a very important chapter in the freedom movement of India.

Few Bollywood actors possessed Sanjeev Kumar's subtle detachment and sensitivity

By Harsh Thakor On 9th July, we celebrated the 85th birthday of legendary Hindi film actor, Sanjeev Kumar., known as Haribhai Jariwala. Sanjeev Kumar penetrated zones of versatility or acting craft, almost unparalleled in Hindi cinema. He was one one the very few who touched horizons of true genius, transcending regions in acting virtually unexplored. Rarely did any artist get stuck as thickly into the skin of the character. The diversity of expressions in his moves reminded one of the different water colours of a painting. Sanjeev manifested the ventures of an artist to tap the regions unexplored. He simply defied all conventions of Bollywood, making path breaking experiments. His acting had a subtle degree detachment and sensitivity, which few Bollywood actors ever possessed. He may not have possessed the drop dead looks of a Dev Anand, Dharmendra or Sashi Kapoor or the professionalism or star charisma of an Amitabh Bachan, Rajesh Khanna or Shah Rukh Khan. However in pure acting...

Top civil rights leader announces plan to lead delegation to Pakistan amidst post-war tensions

By A Representative In a significant move, well-known academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey has announced the plan to send a 22-member delegation to Pakistan to engage in dialogue with its government and civil society. The delegation proposed to go to Pakistan under the banner of Socialist Party (India) as a fact-finding mission to help seek solution to continuing tensions between the two countries over the fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Bridge collapse near Vadodara fuels demand for urgent repairs in Amreli

By A Representative The tragic collapse of a bridge near Vadodara, which claimed more than 10 lives, has intensified calls from social workers for immediate repairs to a dilapidated and dangerous bridge on the Amreli-Rajkot highway in Amreli district.

FSSAI defies Supreme Court order on food warning labels, citing 'trade secrets' for withholding vital information

By A Representative India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is facing strong criticism for deliberately delaying the implementation of crucial warning labels on High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) food products. This comes despite a clear Supreme Court order on April 9, 2025, which mandated the completion of the "entire exercise" within three months. Adding to the controversy, the FSSAI is reportedly hiding expert reports and over 14,000 public comments under the pretext of "trade secrets."

Guru Dutt: The melancholy visionary who redefined Indian cinema

By Harsh Thakor* Iconic Indian director and actor Guru Dutt was just 39 years old when he died in 1964, but he left behind a cinematic legacy that continues to resonate. On July 9, the world marks the birth centenary of this cinematic wizard. Guru Dutt, whose name epitomises the golden era of Indian cinema, left an indelible mark with his talents as a director, producer, and actor. He elevated the art of filmmaking to new heights, bringing innovative storytelling to unexplored domains. Like the protagonist of "Pyaasa", true recognition came to Dutt only after his passing. Cinema enthusiasts continue to wonder what more he might have achieved had he lived longer.

Remarks by visiting speaker in Dallas stir controversy; police complaint filed

By A Representative A speech delivered at a Hindu community event in Dallas has sparked criticism and led to a police complaint, after the speaker reportedly called for a boycott of Muslim businesses in the area.

Search This Blog