State Repression Forces Adivasis Out of Their Land in Odisha

The PESA law in India makes it mandatory for village councils to be consulted before any land and resource acquisition by higher-level authorities, but it is being blatantly violated in this Adivasi-dominated district of Odisha.

In the age of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, bullet trains, dams, amusement parks and shopping malls seem to have become markers of development. Both government and private entities are making a push for such development. But for Parmananda Munda, who is fighting for the land his community has lived on for 50 years, the government must be respectful of the law, if it truly wants sabka vikas or development for all.

By the law, Munda is referring to the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996 (PESA), which strengthens local self-governance and empowers panchayats to make decisions about land ownership and acquisition, natural resource management, minor forest produce and peace and dispute settlement. Read more

Courtesy: Feminism in India