The CSR Journal | By Kasmin Fernandes – July 2, 2019

The order of the Supreme Court issued on February 13, 2019 with respect to the claims of forest-dwelling peoples in India — the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers — is a case of the Supreme Court speaking against itself.

In effect, the court has ordered the eviction of lakhs of people whose claims as forest dwellers have been rejected under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, or FRA. As a matter of fact, this order negates the claims of citizens under special protection of the Constitution, viz. the Scheduled Tribes and other vulnerable communities, who are already pushed by neglect precariously to the edge. (more…)

The Hindu | Vizag | June 27, 2019

A question mark hangs over the future of the 1.5 million-tonne alumina refinery set up by Anrak Aluminium Limited (AAL) in Visakhapatnam district with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announcing the cancellation of a key Government Order.

The refinery, set up in 2013 with a total investment of over Rs.6,000 crore, was allowed to mine bauxite ore in Gudem and Chintapalle blocks through G.O. Ms. No. 97. The mining was done by A.P. Mineral Development Corporation in the reserve forest area. (more…)

Supreme Court’s well-known judgment in Samata Vs. Government of Andhra Pradesh. It said that the Government should prohibit transfer of tribal land to non-tribal people. The apex court, in 1997, had ruled that only cooperative societies owned by tribes and public enterprises can conduct mining or industries under Schedule

Click here for document || Video ||

Ravi Rebbapragada of Samata Receives National leadership Award for Social Service from Vice President Shri Hamid Ansari – Youtube Video

Lakshmipat Singhania- IIM Lucknow National Leadership Awards Conferred – PR Urgent

The Logical India || Contributors Written by : Rahul Basu (Guest Author) || Edited by : Bharat Nayak || April 2nd, 2019

If mining destroys the environment, the minerals are sold and the mineral stock depleted, what is there for future generations? The National Mineral Policy 2019 lays a systematic foundation for the implementation of the Intergenerational Equity Principle. While rooted in the Constitution, some steps need to be taken quickly to reduce uncertainty to the mining industry. (more…)

The Hans India || Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao || 08 March 2019

Justice K Ramaswamy, former Supreme Court Judge who passed away on March 6, was popularly known for one of his landmark Judgements known as Samata Judgement that upheld the rights of tribals on their lands in tribal areas. The State government, in a befitting manner, conducted his funeral with all respects to the departed soul. Samata was a non-governmental organisation that worked for the rights of the tribal people as it found them being alienated from their lands and exploited by non-tribal people and the state, in contravention of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and various Central and State government laws. (more…)

The Hindu | Sonum Gayatri Malhotra | June 18, 2013

Moving governance of tribal areas in central India from the Fifth to the Sixth Schedule will help address the demand for autonomy

The targeted attack by Maoists in Chhattisgarh against the State Congress leadership in which V.C. Shukla, Mahendra Karma and the party’s other top leaders were killed has rekindled a familiar debate on the military aspects of counterinsurgency. However, the continuing cycle of violence in the State underscores the need for a closer examination of the social and political impact of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution through which the tribal areas of peninsular India are governed.

India’s population consists of 100 million tribal people who have constitutionally been addressed via two distinct avenues. The Fifth Schedule applies to an overwhelming majority of India’s tribes in nine States, while the Sixth Schedule covers areas that are settled in the northeastern States bordering China and Myanmar. Bastar district in Chhattisgarh is governed by the Fifth Schedule, but it wants to move into the Sixth Schedule. (more…)

The Hindu | July 18, 2006 | K. Venkateshwarlu

HYDERABAD: For the motley group of poor tribal youth from the remote hilltop hamlets of Visakhapatnam district who had not even seen the port city, landing straight in Stuttgart in Germany was an “unforgettable experience”.

“It was simply out of the world. The sprawling school campuses, the huge buildings, spic and span streets and vast stretches of greenery. Meeting youth from other countries besides learning creative ways of teaching children was indeed a lifetime experience,” says Gangayamma, 19-year- old teacher of a tribal school run by Samatha in Thorada. (more…)

Araku Valley -Popularly known as Andhra Ooty is famous for its scenic beauty. Gostani River with all its beauty flows down the hills towards Visakhapatnam. Borra Caves the main tourist spot is on the banks of this river with Galikonda and Rakta konda as its peripharies. People prefer to go by train which carries them through the hills and valleys, through tunnels – a feast to the eyes of the traveler.

Now- all this is going to be a thing of the past… In the name of development this area is going to be handed over to the private companies who are waiting to dig out Bauxite which is the main raw material for the aluminum companies. This would fill their coffers with millions of rupees. They are going to mine at Galikonda and Rakta konda , after which we might not see the hills again. Gostani river will not flow and Visakha will not be able to quench its parched throat since it would dry up once the mining starts. The water reservoir near Tatipudi built on the River Gostani, which is the main source of water to Visakhapatnam, would dry up. Besides this, around 15 streams and many more lakes would disappear. The beautiful waterfall “Katika” which falls from 250ft high would lose its splendour. The life of the tribal people living in this region will be destroyed. (more…)