The northeast has always been this burning shoulder for India. BJP and Sangh Parivar are wreaking havoc on the parts that are right under the shade of an anaconda called China, creating many Kashmirs.

Assam and other parts of northeast are simmering owing to the citizenship amendment bill that was brought in the recent times. As if to rub salt on the wound of tribals living in forest areas, the Supreme Court has ruled that about 10 lakh of them have to be evicted from the forests since ages from 16 forest regions.

Whether this order would help preserve the forests or not, this would most certainly contribute to riots breaking out leading to massacre of tribals at large scale.

More than 11 lakh families have been ordered to be evicted owing to the fact that their rights over their land has been rejected. They have to vacate the forests before July 27. Failing to evict them would be taken seriously, the SC has said.  

Since the SC ruling has to be followed by other states too, the number of displaced would be even higher. According to the data available by December 2018, only 18.89 lac applications have been accepted among 42.19 lakh applications that were submitted to claim land rights. Which means about 23 lakh families are facing the threat of eviction.

This number is more than double the number mentioned in the court. This will certainly give rise to a war like situation between the forest department and the tribal people.

Those who live in the forest have a very deeper relationship with their surroundings. They depend on the forest for their livelihood. The fact that they harm the forest is a big lie created by the state. They love and worship forest like their god. Owing to them, timber smugglers and corporates haven’t been able to set foot inside the forest and this has saved many precious forests.  

Forest department uses various tricks to uproot them. They want to ensure people get fed up and leave on their own. Now with court having permitted it, one can only imagine the torture forest department would mete out on the dwellers. There is a major conspiracy that has been hatched by the central government behind this verdict. The lawyer who had to argue for the tribals didn’t do his job at all. This contributed to the contrary verdict that would compromise on the forest dwellers.

If the tribals want any deeds or documents, they have to depend on the government officers. Most of them are illiterates and hence they couldn’t present documents at all. Owing to all this, the court ordered against the original inhabitants of the forest.

Narendra Modi government has completely ignored the welfare of tribals. They have not only failed in defending the forest rights act, but are involved in making it weak. Has this order been issued to save the forest?

No is the answer. The only reason behind this is to uproot the inhabitants and hand over forests into the hands of corporate forces. There are many forests in this country where humans have not been able to even set their foot in. Their resources is now enticing the evil eyes of corporates.

But tribals are a big challenge while the big machines would attempt to enter the forests. So to uproot them and destroy them forever, courts have been used. This may turn the Adivasis against the country itself. In Northeast, Naxals are using forest dwellers to the hilt.

If the state decides to use army to vacate the tribals, naxals may as well use this opportunity to push their agenda. This may even turn some adivasis into criminals. Hence it is necessary that the government acts on behalf of the Adivasis.

They are a part of the forests. Adivasis are children of forests and are citizens of this country. We cannot perceive forests without them. The government needs to take them into confidence and they have to be carefully rehabilitated.

Only then we can reduce the probable friction. Else, while fighting against external enemies such as China and Pakistan, we may be forced to fight our own people too.

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Visakhapatnam (PTI): India fought back gallantly through Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav after Quinton de Kock struck his 23rd hundred, keeping South Africa to a manageable 270 in the third and series-deciding final ODI, here Saturday.

India won the toss after judging the spin of the coin incorrectly 20 times in a row. They had little hesitation in inserting the Proteas into bat, a clear indication of dew factor dominating the thought.

After Arshdeep Singh sent back Ryan Rickelton early, De Kock (106, 89b, 8x4, 6x4) struck his seventh century against India and put on 113 runs off 124 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (48, 67b) as the visitors moved to a healthy position.

De Kock was severe on Prasidh (4/66), who erred on length continuously in his first spell (2-0-27-0). The left-hander biffed the pacer for 6, 6, 4 in his second over to milk 18 runs.

The 32-year-old quickly pounced on anything that was short, and pacers Prasidh and Harshit offered him plenty of feed on his pet areas.

Bavuma was more sedate, and made runs through those typical dabs and jabs, occasionally unfurling a drive of elan.

De Kock moved to fifty in 42 balls, and never let the tempo down reaching his hundred in 79 balls.

India found temporary relief when Ravindra Jadeja induced a false slash from Bavuma to get caught by Virat Kohli at point.

The tourists got another move on through a 54-run partnership between De Kock and Matthew Breetzkle for the third wicket, and at 168 for two in 28 overs they were in a good position to press on.

But Breetzke's punishment of part-time spinner Tilak Varma forced a rethink in the Indian camp, as skipper KL Rahul brought back Prasidh for a second spell.

What a masterstroke it turned out to be! The Karnataka man broke the back of South Africa’s top and middle order in an exceptional second spell (4-0-11-3).

Breetzke was the first man to go, trapped plumb in front with a straight one and four balls later Aiden Markram uppishly chipped a fuller delivery to Kohli at short covers.

Prasidh soon castled De Kock, whose ugly cross-batted swipe failed to connect a full length delivery from the pacer.

All of a sudden, SA found themselves at a shaky 199 for five, losing three wickets in the space of three overs.

Once Prasidh was done away with the top and middle-order, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (4/41) took over and mopped up the tail as SA fell short of even a par total on this track.