This year’s annual rally for World Tribal Day at Aarey Forest, in Mumbai, India, organised by Adivasi communities, deviated from its usual song and dance processions. The reason: they couldn’t celebrate because ‘one of their own’ faced brutal sexual abuse in Manipur. The protest, which drew more than 500 participants, marched from Habale Pada (Now known as Film City, which is outside Aarey Forest) to Birsa Munda Chowk.
Akash Bhoir, a member of the Malhar Koli tribe, placed particular importance on referring to it as Habale Pada, emphasising its original name. “The rally was a protest against part of our land being allotted to Film City. Farming at that location was our livelihood, and it has now been taken away,” stated Chaitali Gavit Bhoir, a member of the Kokana tribe from Aarey. Given the integral role of nature in tribal identity, the protests extended to opposing projects like The Vadhavan Port in Dahanu, Palghar, and the Barsu Oil refinery project in Raigad.
Akash commented: “We’ve seen the direct impacts of such projects this monsoon, causing loss of life and property devastation, yet they persist. The port will likely result in a massive decline in the fish population, upon which the tribal fishermen’s livelihood depends. Furthermore, the refinery will destroy farmland and contribute to air pollution.”