Police deny permission for annual Indigenous march in Aarey

Adivasi group in Mumbai claims police denied permission for annual march in Aarey on World Indigenous Peoples Day. They plan to proceed without written permission.

Mumbai: In a foil to their annual celebrations of World Indigenous Peoples Day on August 9, an Adivasi group has claimed that the police have denied them written permission for their yearly march in Aarey.

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“We applied for police permission with the Aarey Police station on July 22,” wrote the Kashtkari Shetkari Sanghatana, in a press note. “A few days before the march, on Tuesday, we were called to the Aarey Police Station and were treated like criminals. After being made to sit for two hours, we were told we would not be allowed to proceed with the march.”

The Adivasis from all the padas in Mumbai, estimated to be 222, have been gathering at the Goregaon Check Naka in their traditional attire and marching to Aarey Dairy Cross Road for approximately 40 years.

Even without permission, they plan to continue with the march. “The police have refused to give us written permission,” said Gita Bhatre, an Adivasi at the police station. “While they’re telling us verbally that we can hold the march, they say they cannot give us written permission because of the Aarey Dairy. They do not treat us with respect, shouting at us and making us stand outside for hours. But it is our day and we will march come what may.”

Last year, around 5,000 Adivasis participated in the march, which was mostly peaceful but culminated in a minor altercation with the police. “This is setting the stage up for a police conflict at a march which has been peaceful for years,” said Sanjiv Valsan, an activist.

Senior inspector Jagdish Deshmukh, Aarey police station, said, “The entire area belongs to Aarey department, which includes all of the departments which have a part in Aarey, and they should first take permission from them and after that they should come to the police. There are some sensitive places and if the Aarey department will give them permission then we will immediately give them permission in writing ”. “We always cooperate with them and deploy police bandobast during their march. The police bandobast will also be present on August 9,” said Deshmukh.