Attacks and harassment of HRDs working on indigenous and marginalized people's rights
On 16 September 2019, the Chhattisgarh police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against women human rights defenders Bela Bhatia and Soni Sori. This FIR is believed to be a reprisal against the two human rights defenders for their participation in a protest and their filing of a complaint in the Kirandul police station demanding that an FIR be lodged against the police and security forces for the killings of human rights defenders, Podiya Sori and Lacchu Mandavi.
Bela Bhatia is a human rights defender, lawyer, and independent researcher who lives and works in Bastar with indigenous people and other marginalised communities. A former honorary professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, the human rights defender has participated in the preparation of many fact-finding reports and served on a panel appointed by the Planning Commission to examine challenges to governance in areas affected by the Maoist rebellion.
On 5 October 2019, Soni Sori was arrested by the Dantewada Police under Preventive Sections 151, 107 and 116 of the Indian Code of Criminal Procedure. The arrest is believed to be linked to the human rights defender’s public campaign for the rights of persons languishing in jails in the State. Soni Sori was charged with “failing to obtain the necessary permission to organise a demonstration”. She was released on bail by the local court that same day.
On 16 September 2019, the Chhattisgarh police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Soni Sori and human rights defender Bela Bhatia. This FIR is believed to be a reprisal against the two human rights defenders for their participation in a protest and their filing of a complaint in the Kirandul police station demanding that an FIR be lodged against the police and security forces for the killings of human rights defenders, Podiya Sori and Lacchu Mandavi.
Bela Bhatia is a human rights defender, lawyer, and independent researcher who lives and works in Bastar with indigenous people and other marginalised communities. A former honorary professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, the human rights defender has participated in the preparation of many fact-finding reports and served on a panel appointed by the Planning Commission to examine challenges to governance in areas affected by the Maoist rebellion. Soni Sori is a human rights defender who advocates for the rights of indigenous people in India, with a focus on women's rights. She works in Chhattisgarh, where the long-term conflict between Maoists and government security forces has greatly affected the indigenous people in the area. Alongside other human rights defenders, she has uncovered human rights violations committed by both sides of the conflict. In 2018, Soni Sori was the regional winner of the Front Line Defenders Award for human rights defenders at risk. Both Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia have been formerly threatened and harassed by police and State authorities on account of their human rights work.
Podiya Sori and Lacchu Mandavi are community leaders of Gumiyapal village in Dantewada district of Bastar division, south Chhattisgarh. They have been actively involved in the local anti-mining movement and in securing the land rights of affected communities. Specifically, the human rights defenders have campaigned against the illegal acquisition of protected lands for the proposed iron-ore mining operations by Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Gujarat. Adani Group recently announced its plans to set up a new mine at Nandaraj mountain in Kirandul, which is considered sacred by the local adivasis, or indigenous people. Since June 2019, adivasis have gathered in their thousands to protest against these proposed mining operations.
On the night of 13 September 2019, Podiya Sori, Lacchu Mandavi, and a third individual Ajay Telam were picked up by police officers and taken to the forest. While Ajay Telam was taken into police custody the same night and released a few days later on 17 September 2019, Podiya Sori and Lacchu Mandavi were killed. On 15 September 2019, the Chhattisgarh police filed an FIR about their encounter with Podiya Sori, Lacchu Mandavi, and Ajay Telam, in which they alleged that the local leaders had opened fire against them and were incidentally killed during the exchange of gunshots.
On 16 September 2019, human rights defenders Bela Bhatia and Soni Sori went to the Kirandul police station to lodge a complaint against the police regarding the killings of the community leaders, the arrest of Ajay Telam, as well as to call for an investigation into the killings. About 200 adivasis marched peacefully alongside the two human rights defenders to express their dissatisfaction with the police’s version of the killings, which they believe was fabricated. However, when the police received the complaint from Soni Sori, Bela Bhatia and the other protesters, instead of registering it as an FIR, the police filed their own FIR against the two human rights defenders and all individuals who participated in the peaceful protest. In addition to filing the charges under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for “disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant”, the police also asserted that the protest was in violation of recently enacted Section 144 Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits an assembly of more than four persons.
Front Line Defenders condemns the extra judicial killing of two human rights defenders and community leaders Podiya Sori and Lacchu Mandavi. Front Line Defenders is also deeply concerned about the repeated charges filed against Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia, as it believes that this is solely motivated by their peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights.
