This is a report about the repression of forest struggles and organisation of Adivasi communities by the state in Dewas region of Madhya Pradesh in 2001. It begins by providing a brief description about the region, its people, and the roots of the current problems between the tribal population and the state. The basis of conflict is the dichotomy between two different understandings of the forest as a means for subsistence and as a means for revenue. While the state deems it to be perfectly acceptable to use forest resources such as timber for administrative and commercial exploitation, and the Forest Department itself facilitates the illicit felling of trees and pervasive monoculture to produce timber, the livelihood needs of the tribals are declared to be unsustainable. The state machinery then steps up with all its might to suppress any collective organisation, such as Adivasi Morcha Sangathan in Dewas region, and in the present case resorted to large scale destruction of houses, firing on unarmed people, looting of grain with the intent to endanger food security, and arresting those deemed to be active supporters of tribal organisations. The apathy of the government, civil society and media is also highlighted by their readiness to buy into official reports. PUDR concludes with the strong assertion that collective organisation and mobilization for their rights is a Fundamental Right of any people and that state sanctioned brutality to repress this is unacceptable.
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When-people-organised.pdf
