Gujarat government ready to evict its adivasis originally resettled 15 years back

Dabhoi/Vadodara: Hut built by  of Bijal s/o Shankar,70 yrs old adivasi, originally from village Shurpan of Tehsil Dediapada, district Bharuch which was 3 Kms from Sardar Sarovar dam site, was demolished after  15 years since it was built on the land plot allotted to him at resettlement site called Dabhoinada, dist.  Vadodra. This incident took place on September 2nd when some employees and officials including CEO of Dabhoi Nagar Nigam came to the land survey no. 1434  area, 1.37 acres which was alloted to Bijal Shankar as a part of resettlement entitlements  near Dabohinada site (near Tharvasa chowkdi) at 11.30 A.M.  , they carried police force led by PI Mr. Baroth of Dabhoi Police station with them. They  demolished Bijalbhai';s hut built by Bijalbhai which was used as a small tea shop since few years. 

The Dabhoi Nagar Nigam had issued a letter to Bijal bhai on 12th of August in presence of the Sardar Sarovar Nigam employees when the SS Nigam had conveyed that the land belongs to Bijal bhai as SSP affected. However, in the notice-cum-letter issued, it was mentioned that there is a court order and its execution demands that Bijal bhai should vacate the land. 

The claim by Nagar Nigam officials is that 40% of Bijal bhai land is a part of the town planning scheme, Dabhoi and hence Bijal bhai will have to vacate the same. When Bijal, his family as well as villagers protested, they were not only ready to listen to him but CEO was specially arrogant and threatening. The CEO also want Bijal bhai at one point of time that he could be arrested even while sleeping so he better should sign the papers, he would be brought before. 

Bijabhai and other villagers kept on countering the same, showing title of the agri-plot which was allotted around 1999, since he was allotted only 3 acres near the R&R site this plot was given to complete five acres to Bijal bhai. It is shocking that the Nagar Nigam now wants to take away this piece which lie between land of two owners Hitendra bhai patel and Narayan bhai Patel. The case and the order referred to by the Nigam and attached with the letter issue to Bijal Shankar, is found to be related to case between Hitendra Patel and Nigam and has nothing to with Bijal bhai and his land. 

More than 50 representatives of various resettlement sites with Medha Patkar and other activists reached the site today and prepared a Panchnama which was not prepared by the Police or even Nigam since the Police station also refused to accept and lodge a complaint which Bijal bhai had tried to, going to the Police station on 3rd of September with tens of villagers from Dabhoinada. 

It has been observed that the Gujarat is all out to vacate as many as possible, of plots allotted to the adivasis oustees. Since the land prices in and around Dabhoi, as also in other tehsils are escalated many times. Both the original land owners and the states statuary agencies in a way repenting that such prime land is  in the hand of adivasis and hence this conspiracy seems to have been hatched and land is being tried to be recovered and diverted away from the oustees in an illegal and unjust manner.

Such incident was to occur an year ago at the same resettlement. When some other employees of a company had came to take over land forcibly. The people at the Dabhoinada with the help of Shankar bhai Tadvi and others belonging to our movement, had resisted and driven away the grabbers of land. At another occasion a list of about hundred families resettled in Gujarat that included some oustees from Madhya Pradesh as well, was prepared and the government had conveyed to them, that they would have to vacate the lands, even after 10-15 years since their names were not found in the computer lists.    

All this has awakened the adivasis from three states resettled in Gujarat. Their rights may be snatched away once the Sardar Sarovar Dam is completed. It is since last many years that the government of Gujarat is projecting balance number of families to be rehabilitated as zero even when hundreds are yet to receive their due entitlements and many are threatened of recovering back the lands allotted in the past. 

All those who are praising the Gujarat model of development must take a note of this and other such injustices to the adivasis including Sardar Sarovar affected.   

Jikubhai Tadvi  Siyaram Padvi  Devram Kanera 

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