Bhil tribal families allege sugar institute in Pune trying to demolish their homes

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Pune agrarian constabulary connected February 4 appeared earlier the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) successful transportation with a ailment filed by Bhil families against the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI). About 12 families of Bhils, an indigenous tribal radical successful India, person alleged that VSI is trying to demolish their homes and displace them from the onshore wherever they person been residing for generations.

Spread implicit 200 acres of onshore taken connected a 99-year lease from the Maharashtra government, VSI is simply a premier organisation successful Pune territory that conducts probe successful sweetener and allied industries. Its Director General Sambhaji Kadu Patil has said that they are not displacing anyone but lone gathering a partition to “secure the premises”.

Bapurao Dadas, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, said, “I appeared earlier the NCST and submitted our enquiry report… This is simply a civilian quality pending earlier a court. The constabulary volition travel the directions of the court.”

Subhash Baban Gaikwad, 65, who belongs to the Bhil tribe, said, “We are a fewer Bhil families residing for galore generations connected a tiny portion of authorities onshore alongside the Mula Mutha stream successful Naigaon colony adjacent the temple of Theur successful Haveli taluka of Pune district. Fishing is our main occupation. Some of america besides enactment arsenic workplace labourers to gain other income.”

“One day successful July 2024, each of a sudden, without immoderate authoritative announcement oregon intimation, immoderate persons constructing the compound partition of VSI came with dense machines and tried to demolish our houses. We objected, but they asked america to vacate the onshore forever. We stopped them arsenic we person been residing for respective years. We person our Aadhaar cards connected this address,” said Gaikwad.

With assistance of advocator Sangram Kolhatkar, who owns a location adjacent the Bhil colony successful Naigaon, the Bhils filed a civilian suit successful a Pune tribunal and submitted a ailment to the NCST against the VSI for allegedly trying to demolish their houses and displace them.

Bhil tribal families homes Tehsildar’s study claims that Bhil assemblage has made a mendacious complaint. (Express photo: Chandan Haygunde)

A civilian tribunal passed an bid granting presumption quo connected July 8, 2024. The bid stated that the Bhils person “produced connected grounds photographs of the suit spot amongst different documents. They person besides reported the substance to the police. The papers produced connected grounds shows that determination is substance successful their apprehension. There exists fearfulness that plaintiffs volition beryllium dispossessed and go stateless if nary interference is made astatine this stage. It is indispensable to sphere the quality of the suit spot arsenic of today. Therefore, it volition beryllium indispensable to assistance the presumption quo…”.

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The adjacent proceeding successful the civilian tribunal is connected February 27.

Meanwhile, the NSCT initiated a probe into this lawsuit and issued a announcement to the Pune territory collector and Pune constabulary connected October 8, 2024, seeking a study from them successful this matter. On October 30, officials of the Uruli Kanchan constabulary presumption successful Pune Rural constabulary limits recorded the connection of a complainant Rabha Sakharam Pawar, 69, of the Bhil tribe. Pawar told the constabulary that helium and his household person been residing successful Naigaon since his forefathers, but inactive the VSI officials asked them to permission the place.

When The Indian Express visited the Bhil colony successful Naigaon, it was observed that astir 80 radical from Bhil families, comprising elder citizens, women and children, unrecorded successful mediocre conditions successful astir 13 hutments, having nary energy transportation and different basal facilities.

When contacted, Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi shared the study submitted by Tehsildar Trupti Kolte Patil to the NSCT connected January 3, 2025. It stated that the authorities has provided facilities similar h2o tank, a temple to the Bhils, but the complainant Gaikwad and the others near the main Bhil colony and encroached connected the VSI land.

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Tehsildar’s study besides claims that Bhil assemblage has made a mendacious ailment that VSI officials threatened and tried to displace them, truthful that they tin proceed with the encroachment. The study says that a VSI serviceman filed a constabulary ailment connected December 12, 2024, against the Bhils for allegedly obstructing the institute’s work. The study mentions that the authorities is delicate towards the Bhils and attempts are connected to rehabilitate them connected alternate land.

The Bhils, meanwhile, said their ailment is genuine. Pointing astatine a location located adjacent a partially constructed compound partition of VSI, Bhil pistillate Sushila Gaikwad said, “If we had not objected, they would person simply demolished our homes and near america displaced.”

They besides showed a transcript of a solution passed by the Naigaon gram panchayat connected January 31, 2023, to supply caste certificates to the Bhils residing connected the stream broadside successful the colony for the past 60 years.

This resolution, which they person besides submitted successful the court, mentions that owed to deficiency of education, the Bhils could not registry themselves successful the colony records successful the past, owed to which they are uncovering it hard to get caste certificates. The solution says that they should beryllium fixed caste certificates truthful they tin avail acquisition and different facilities nether authorities schemes.

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A complainant Rabha Pawar, whose sanction is mentioned successful the gram panchayat resolution, showed his voting card, mentioning his residential code arsenic Naigaon successful Haveli. Pawar said, “Nobody tried to displace america successful the past. We person been surviving peacefully present adjacent earlier the onshore was fixed connected lease to the sweetener institute. We neglect to recognize wherefore VSI, which has possession of immense land, present wants to propulsion america away. Government officials are often visiting us. They privation to rehabilitate america connected immoderate different land. But this alternate spot is not suitable arsenic present we would suffer our accepted livelihood by fishing.”

Advocate Kolhatkar said, “As per the documents submitted by VSI successful the court, it got authorities onshore connected a 99-year lease connected May 30, 1977. This shows that VSI is not the proprietor of this authorities land. Still, the VSI’s sanction is mentioned connected the 7/12 extract of this land, which is suspicious. Also, VSI has nary ineligible powers to displace anybody residing connected this land.”

Bhil families land The Bhils submitted an exertion on with videos to the tribunal recently. (Express photo: Chandan Haygunde)

“While it is said that Gat fig 8 successful Naigaon village, wherever the Bhils reside, is simply a authorities grazing land, determination are documents showing it arsenic a wood land. As per the Forest Rights Act (FRA), the tribals residing connected wood onshore for much than 3 generations anterior to December 13, 2005, cannot beryllium displaced illegally. We are raising these points earlier the tribunal and anticipation to get justice,” helium added.

Meanwhile, the Bhils submitted an exertion on with videos to the tribunal precocious done a lawyer H H Patole, claiming that contempt a “status quo” order, the VSI allegedly continued the operation of the compound partition successful a mode that could origin damages to them.

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Sambhaji Kadu Patil, a retired IAS serviceman and manager wide of VSI said, “We are not displacing anyone. We person nary rights to bash so. We person a immense sugarcane plantation successful VSI. We transportation retired important probe activities. We are gathering a compound partition to unafraid the premises. We person requested the authorities to wide the encroachments and rehabilitate the Bhil families properly.”

When contacted, NSCT serviceman H R Meena said that an enquiry is connected successful the matter.

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