Crisis on Tribal Rights: The Struggle for Water, Forest, and Land in the Shadow of the Statue of Unity

 

The indigenous people here say that they are not against the statue of Sardar Patel. However, they oppose the exploitation of tribal communities being carried out under the guise of other projects in Sardar Patel’s name. The locals believe that Sardar Patel always stood for the rights of farmers, the poor, and the marginalized. Therefore, taking away the land, forests, and water of tribal people and displacing them in his name goes against his principles.

The tribal community asserts that they have both traditional and legal rights over their land, forests, and water, which the government is disregarding. They are not against development, but they emphasize that development should not come at the cost of destroying their lives and livelihoods. They want to be included in development plans, ensuring that their interests and rights are also protected. They further say...

1.       In 2018-19, Sardar Sarovar Narmada Corporation leased 234 acres of land around the Statue of Unity to private companies for just ₹1 annually for 30 years. This land was originally acquired for the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam and canal. According to Section 101 of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, if land acquired under the act remains unused for five years, it should be returned to the original owners or their legal heirs, or it should be restored to the government land bank. However, this provision was ignored in this case.

2.     On August 30, 2020, the villages of Kevadia faced flooding due to the release of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Homes of villagers like Raman Bhai, Dinesh Bhai, Ratan Behen, and Soma Bhai Tadvi were submerged. Despite two days passing, no assistance or prior warning was given by the authorities. Villagers noted that such flooding had occurred before, but the situation worsened after the construction of the weir dam near Garudeshwar. Many houses and fields in Kevadia, Vagadia, Gora Piparia, and Vasantpura were flooded, leaving farmers in dire straits.

3.      During the global COVID-19 lockdown, while the world was focused on the pandemic, the government took advantage of the situation to forcibly acquire land from indigenous (Adivasi) tribes in Kevadia, Vagadia, Navagam, Limdi, Bar Fariya, and Gora villages in Gujarat’s Narmada district. Despite being self-sufficient for generations, these tribes were evicted from their homes, denied the right to farm, and stripped of their livelihoods and rights guaranteed under Schedule 5 of the Indian Constitution and the PESA Act.

4.     On May 6, 2020, in Vagadia village, the farmland of Dinesh Bhai Manik Bhai Tadvi was fenced off by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Corporation employees, backed by police force. Dinesh Bhai, who relied on his crops for survival during the pandemic, pleaded with the officials, showing them his land documents, but his requests were ignored, and the fencing continued.

5.     Several tribal farmers in Vagadia had their lands seized. Former Limdi village sarpanch Daksha Behen recounts that when they protested, women were forcefully detained by male police officers without any assistance from female police personnel, in clear violation of the law.

6.     On May 18, 2020, tribal farmers in Kevadia were evicted from their lands and homes by Sardar Sarovar Corporation employees, again with police backing. Vikram Bhai Chandubhai recalls how his daughter was dragged out of their home when she protested. She was arrested and jailed. Women who resisted were beaten by the police, with Kanaku Behen recalling how even her saree was torn during the assault.

7.      Shantilal Bhai Tadvi, the sarpanch of Gora village, narrated how he showed land documents to the authorities but was still beaten and jailed. He questioned how such actions were taken without Gram Sabha consent, as the region falls under Schedule 5 of the Indian Constitution, which requires local village council approval for land decisions. Despite petitions from 14 villages to the district collector, the land was seized under the “Statue of Unity Development Authority.” This marked the Gujarat government’s high-handedness in exploiting the lockdown to dispossess tribal communities.

8.     Adding to the woes, the Gujarat government introduced the "Eco-Sensitive Zone" policy, targeting the Surpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the Adivasis of Narmada district. Spanning 607 square kilometers, the sanctuary has been preserved by the tribes for generations. But the government’s designation of this area as eco-sensitive during the pandemic is now threatening the displacement of 121 villages. Farmers discovered, only after obtaining documents online, that their names had been removed from land records, and ownership was now listed under the Government of Gujarat.

9.     Those who protested faced multiple police cases, arrests, and harassment. Today, many tribal people face food shortages as they have been stripped of their lands. They have received eviction notices, with warnings to vacate their homes.

10. The forests once rich with dense greenery have been replaced with concrete jungles. The release of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam in August 2020 caused further damage during the lockdown. Farmlands were flooded, homes destroyed, and crops were ruined. Many families were forced to abandon their homes.

11.    In 2020, tribal youths employed at the Statue of Unity were subjected to casteist abuses by IAS officer Nilesh Dubey. These young workers, many of whom had not been paid for three months, were also terminated from their jobs by Dubey. Despite filing complaints of atrocities with the local police, no FIRs were registered.

12.  On August 6, 2024, two tribal youths, Jayesh Bhai Tadvi from Kevadia and Sanjay Bhai Tadvi from Gavana village, were brutally beaten by a contractor involved in the construction of the Tribal Museum near the Statue of Unity. Jayesh Bhai died at the scene, and Sanjay Bhai succumbed to his injuries the next day at Rajpipla Hospital. Local police were accused of trying to cover up the case, destroying evidence, and intimidating the victims' families.

These incidents highlight the ongoing struggle for land, forest, and water rights faced by the indigenous tribes in the region surrounding the Statue of Unity. The systematic displacement and mistreatment of these communities, exacerbated by the government’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, have left them vulnerable and fighting for their basic rights.

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