First All India Conference of Tribal, Traditional Forest Dwellers and poor toiling people called by ‘All India Jan Adhikar Suraksha Committee’ (AIJASC) was held on 3-5th February 2023 at West Bengal, Purulia town, Sido-Kanhu Manch (Indoor Stadium); Birsa Munda Nagar (Purulia). The inaugural session was held on 3rd February. Delegates from 11 states including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Assam, Tripura and other states and thousands of people from West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand participated in the rally.
Shri Sarada Prasad Kisku, renowned litterateur inaugurated the conference. Other eminent persons present were Shri Anadi Prasad Majee, Padmashree Madhu Mansuri and Shri Gomosta Prasad Soren.
The inaugural session was held in the indoor stadium. The speakers explained why AIJASC was what task enjoins it. Work of AIJASC started when the Jharkhand government tried to amend CNT Act and SPT Act in 2017. AIJASC is pledge-bound to take forward the heroic struggles by Saheed Birsa Munda and Sido-Kanhu. Of late, it is observed that the government is keen on snatching the forest rights from the tribals and evict them from their homes and hearth with a view to allowing large corporates and multi-nationals to grab the mineral, coal and other deposits as well as the natural resources of forestry. The forest conservation rules ’22, which is notified on 28th June, 2022 will open the floodgates for indiscriminate diversion of forest lands. Thousands of hectares of forest lands will be destroyed. This needs to be protested and thwarted. AIJASC will take upon itself the task of protecting legitimate rights of millions of tribal and traditional forest dwellers.
About five hundred delegates attended the delegation on 4 and 5 February. About 50 delegates from different states discussed on different resolution. They also discussed on different problems of tribal people, traditional forest dwellers and poor toiling people. After that discussion a strong All India Committee was formed.
Shambhu Nath Naik, veteran mass leader in Odisha was elected as the President whereas Bisambar Mura from West Bengal was elected General Secretary. The Committee announced that a Delhi march will be held near future demanding full implementation of FRA-2006 and immediate withdrawal of Forest Conservation Rules-2022 and so forth. Among others, Swapan Ghosh, Polit Bureau member, SUCI(C), and long-standing leader of tribal rights movement was present althrough and addressed both inaugural and delegate sessions.
