As I stood outside Palghar station in western Maharashtra, I could see people gradually gathering for the rally. Some people arrived with grains of their crops decorated in baskets. A man carried a traditional instrument. Many people were in traditional clothes, and posters, banners and flags were all around.
It was 19 November, 2021, and the event was a Cultural Rally and Kisan Mahapanchayat that was organised on the occasion of Birsa Munda Jayanti (which was actually on 15 November, 2021), under the leadership of Bhumi Sena Adivasi Ekta Parishad, but with the support of various groups of people including tribals, fishers, farmers, native people, labourers and activists.
They had come from different areas of the Palghar district and beyond.
The official pamphlet of this rally and meeting stated they were fighting to establish self-rule in their villages. Public education and health facilities are lacking in this district. Inflation due to rising prices of fuel is causing problems to people. Governments had failed to bring welfare to the people and, on the contrary, were worsening their conditions.
The Threat Of Developmental Projects
Palghar is a district rich in bio-diversity, but it is threatened due to numerous projects that are being made here. A proposed port at Wadhwan village in Dahanu, Mumbai, Ahmedabad bullet train, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (consisting of freight railways and factories), coastal highways and a proposed airport are a threat to the life of people and the environment.
Along with their cancellation, the demand was also to cancel or change destructive policies and schemes like bad Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP), Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) law amendments and Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification for amendments. I
was informed that harm to the environment was the common point that brought groups of people facing different issues or suffering from different projects together for this event.
Two more important demands, as mentioned in the pamphlet, were to conduct recruitment under The Provisions of the Panchayats Act, 1996 (PESA) and to cancel the farm laws. The good news was that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the repeal of the laws in the morning itself.
Farmers’ leaders from northern India had been invited and people were eager to listen to Rakesh Tikait’s first speech after the repeal announcement.
Talking to people there lead to more insights into the problems. Just one day ago regarding the bullet train project, the authorities had made an announcement, in an attempt to get land for the project, that those having land on the route of the project will get 25% more compensation if they willingly surrender their land than those who don’t, whose land will be forcibly acquired by the project.
I had read that more than half the villages in Maharashtra which would be displaced by the project had given up their land for it. But I got to know from activists that the news in newspapers which are based on government records about such projects as the bullet train, about how many villages or people have given up their land for it, are not always correct.
Many times the villagers are even forcibly given compensation when they are against it and against giving up their land. Professor Bhushan Bhoir explained that projects such as metros and bullet trains are being made to increase fossil fuel consumption so that coal companies would benefit. They have no benefit for the people.
A Threat To Life and Livelihood
As the rally started to move, we heard slogans such as “Ek do ek do bullet train phenk do (One two one two throw away bullet train)”, “Radda kara radda kara, Wadhavan bandar radda kara (Cancel cancel, cancel Wadhavan port)”, “Hamare gaav me hamara raaj’ (Our rule in our village)”.
But as it progressed, we heard music being played, someone reciting poetry on a microphone and some people dancing. Different things were going on in different sections of the procession or cultural rally. Some trucks, rickshaws and tractors were present, but most people walked.
After a long walk, when we reached the space outside the Palghar District Collector’s office, I was surprised at the huge size of the building complex. It seemed like what can be described as a “palace”. I got to know that it was built just one month ago.
As the rally kept arriving there, I met Macanzey Dabre, who stays in Vasai and is the Deputy General Secretary of the National Hawkers Federation. He explained that people such as street vendors are dependent on farmers and that is why the struggle of the farmers against harmful actions things as the three farm laws is very important for them.
“If the farmers suffer then 80% of the country’s population, which lives in rural areas and in urban areas in slums, will suffer, and therefore, street vendors and labourers have come to this rally to support the farmers,” Dabre said.
Regarding the specific problems of the Palghar district, he explained that this district was being made a big infrastructure hub. “Tribals are predominant in this district and they are engaged in farming for their livelihood. But projects like the bullet train, Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Coastal Road, Wadhavan port are coming up.
“They are harming the farming industry and are causing health and economic problems to the fishers and tribals. The cutting of mountains and land-filling in the sea near the coast are harming the environment drastically. We have gathered here to solve all these issues related to environment and planning and protect the livelihood and culture of the native people here,” he said.
Sujay More who stays in Vadrai village of Palghar taluka informed me that he along with the people of Vadrai were striving to clean up the Paaneri river from pollution by the numerous factories which had been set up and were emitting effluents into it. They were not following the conditions stipulated in the No Objection Certificates given by the pollution control board.
The contaminated water of the river had caused the death of three people. These factories were also extracting enormous quantities of water from borewells, leading to a reduction of ground-water levels.
Speaking of rivers, Shashi Sonawane said in a webinar, “One big factor that is neglected is the source of water supply for Mumbai and neighbouring urban areas is almost wholly in Palghar and Thane district. And now these areas are coming under the sway of urbanisation, so one wonders what will be the future of clean water supply.
“Unregulated industrial development threatens the quality and quantity of water and other resources. One can think of the condition of Mumbai’s rivers, which one would not want to be of other rivers.
“In Palghar district, one nuclear plant is there at Tarapur, and near it, Boisar is filled with chemical factories which is one of Asia’s most polluted MIDCs. With the coming of many projects in different parts of the district, it will lose its identity, those dependent on farming and fishing will lose their source of income, and sea-level rise will affect the coastal areas.”
Development Not For The People
The event began with prayers for the environment and for the martyred farmers. Farmers’ leaders from other parts of India had come such as Rakesh Tikait and Yudhvir Singh of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Sukhdev Singh of Khetibadi Evam Kisan Vikas Front and Sajjan Kumar of Nature Human Centric People’s Movement.
The host organisation Bhumi Sena Adivasi Ekta Parishad was represented by Kaluram Dhodade. After their welcome, one of the speakers reminded the people that Gram Panchayat elections in many villages of Dahanu were scheduled after a month, and the people must vote for those candidates who would truly represent the villagers, rather than the interests of political parties.
A tribal leader named Dattaram Karbat said that the destructive projects would uproot many people’s houses and livelihoods and that they had gathered to tell this to the authorities. “Thousands of people’s livelihoods will be affected if the Wadhavan port is built,” he said.
Rakesh Tikait mentioned that the bullet train, Wadhavan port and express highways were destroying the forests of this area and would be controlled or used by corporates like Adani. He said that the farmers who do organic farming could benefit a lot if the government provided help.
He proclaimed that Adivasis (tribals) should have the right to the jal-jungle-zameen (water, forest, land) of the place where they reside and which they protect.
He told the people that while big companies will give them offers of jobs and money, it is the people’s land and they should decide whether to give their land or not, on their own conditions. “Blessed are those who don’t want to give their land for these projects, as they have an attachment to their land,” he said.
He also spoke about the importance of markets for farmers, saying that just as trains need platforms at stations, farmers need markets to sell their crops. He said that the fight against privatisation of public assets would be fought in the whole country.
“The struggle of the farmers is not just against the new farm laws or for MSP but is an environmental struggle.” Sukhdev Singh said that we need to come towards natural farming, and only then can we protect our land as well as the environment.
Climate activist and researcher Sagar Dhara told the audience that the bullet train and expressway were not of our welfare and that the protest against it was right. “Consistent protests can lead to the cancellation of laws and projects, just like what happened with the three farm laws. The bullet train can also be stopped.”
He explained with a scientific approach the climate crisis and its impact on agriculture and informed that he attended COP26 at Glasgow. “Pollution and heavy rain are affecting crops. The size and taste of chikoos in Dahanu have deteriorated. In the face of the climate crisis, the world needs to have unity and cooperation. Climate migrants should be welcomed; in this way, problems can be solved,” he said.
The speeches were followed by cultural performances by the villagers.
Towards the end of the event, I saw a stall selling books in Hindi and Marathi about tribal freedom fighters and their history. The seller, Bhavna, said that she was associated with Adivasi Ekta Parishad and had been working for tribal rights for 16–17 years. She said that she stays in Jawhar, a town that is exposed to harm from the bullet train project passing through the district.
Attending this rally made me aware of the problems that these projects and policies are causing to this district, as well as of the enthusiasm and determination that people have to save their homes, livelihoods and environment.