Tribals’ Eviction From Encroached Land: Mohan- Mama ‘Truce’ After Intervention By BJP Leadership

Bhopal: A late-night meeting between chief minister Mohan Yadav and a delegation led by Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday broke the impasse over the contentious issue of the eviction of some tribals from encroached forest land in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district, leading to the withdrawal of the stir by the local adivasis.

Mr. Yadav, however, remained defiant on his stand that the ‘law will take its own course’ in the matter and refused to succumb to the demand by Mr. Chouhan to resettle the affected tribals on the same land and take action against the forest officials involved in the eviction process, a senior officer said while briefing the deliberations in the meeting.

Appropriate action will be taken after an investigation, Mr. Yadav told the delegation, the officer said on Friday, unwilling to be quoted.

State BJP president Hemant Khandelwal was also present in the meeting.

Following this, the march by the local tribals from Budhni area in Sehore district to chief minister’s official residence here to give a representation to him was called off midway.

Sources said that the late-night meeting was facilitated by the BJP’s Central leadership to bring a ‘truce’ between Mr. Yadav and Mr. Chouhan to deny the issue to precipitate further.

The chief minister used to maintain from the very beginning that action will be taken after a probe and refused to succumb to the pressure to take action against the forest officials involved in the eviction process immediately, leaving Mr. Chouhan upset, sources said.

The Union minister, while throwing his weight behind the affected tribals, had even reminded Mr. Yadav that the latter became chief minister with the votes of these tribals.

The state forest development corporation has maintained that the land was encroached by the 12 tribals in Kosmi village in Sehore district and the eviction was carried out by following due procedure.