Uttar Pradesh's Tharu Adivasi women resist systemic usurpation of their forest land, rights by local authorities

During COVID-19 lockdown, Tharu Adivasi communities — of Kajaria village along the India-Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheri district of eastern Uttar Pradesh — have been continuously resisting the Forest Department’s restrictions put on them to access their community forests and also violent attacks. On the evening of 1 July 2020, a Tharu woman, Virmati, filed a FIR at Gauriphanta police station, Lakhimpur Kheri district, accusing forest ranger Alok Sharma, deputy ranger Sunil Sharma, forest guard Narendra, and sub-inspector of Gauriphant station Shankadhar Bhat, under Indian Penal Code Sections 323, 504, 506, 354, 392, 376, 511, 364 and under 3 SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Women of the Tharu Adivasi community, organised as the Tharu Mahila Adivasi Mazdoor Kisan Manch, immediately confronted the forest department officials, and a long verbal battle ensued, in which the officials threatened violence and declared that the women could not enter the forests. The women stole the forest officer’s gun, tried to hit him on the head and one woman tore her blouse herself.” Rajneesh, a member of the Tharu Mahila Kisan Mazdoor Manch, and a representative of All India Union of Forest Working People asserted that “Tharu women have been working in a democratic manner, following the amendments made in 2012 to the Forest Rights Act, in order for 25 villages to submit claims for their community forest rights in 2013.