The Human Rights Forum (HRF) condemned the government’s action in revoking the permission to Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) New Democracy for a dharna at Indira Park in Hyderabad on June 10 without any notice.
The government had earlier permitted the party to hold the dharna to urge the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision on eviction of forest dwellers.
The apex court in its February 19 order directed all State governments to evict unauthorised forest dwellers by July 27 this year.
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If the order is to be implemented, about 20 lakh forest dwellers, including 83,000 adivasis in Telangana, would become unauthorised residents of forests, said G. Madhava Rao and G.Mohan, the HRF State president and general secretary respectively.
In a joint statement on Monday, they said illiterate and ignorant tribals have been unable to file necessary papers for recognition as forest dwellers although they have been living in forests for generations. The proposed dharna was meant to highlight their plight, but police arrested many adivasis who reached Secunderabad railway station in the early hours. Even in many other places, interested participants were prevented from going to Hyderabad.
The government cannot interfere with the democratic rights of the people and police action was unconstitutional, they said.
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