Mumbai: A major standoff ensued on Sunday after tribals from across the city and beyond tried to enter the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples at Chinchpada, one of the 27 tribal hamlets inside the SGNP, but were not allowed to enter the premises.
Tribals from across the state had planned to convene at Chinchpada in SGNP on Sunday to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and to assert 47 rights granted to tribals by the Constitution, Matera said. On September 11, members of the tribal community commenced the march from the park premises but found that barricades had been placed at multiple points till the Goregaon check naka, stalling their movement.
“Undeterred, we commemorated the event outside the (SGNP) gate, sang hymns and even had our food,” he said. Matera said it was unfortunate that tribals were prevented from entering the SGNP on Sunday, which is marked as the International Tribal Rights Day. A delegation of tribals was then taken to meet the governor and following assurances, the march was withdrawn late on Friday night.
The residents have called for immediate cessation of forced evictions, displacements and unjust land acquisitions for infrastructure and private projects. Tribals residing in SGNP have been seeking implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 and the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) (PESA) Act, 1996; and a bar on projects inside the park without explicit and prior consent of local gram sabhas.They are opposed to the removal of key protective zones from the city’s master plan, which has left forest land and adivasi hamlets vulnerable to exploitation and displacement. Among other things, the HPC is tasked with monitoring rehabilitation of nearly 1,080 families residing inside the SGNP. They have also sought essential amenities such as provision of clean water, electricity, all-weather roads, schools, and health centers in adivasi padas inside the park, besides a rollback of the government decision to privatise 490 tribal residential schools across the state.
They are original inhabitants of the forest and should not be labeled as “encroachers” or treated as slum dwellers, according to the tribals.
