women vs forest dept in rajajinational park - forest people takes over police station and range office

Noorjamal tribal vangujjar from Rajaji National Park, important leader of National Forum of Forest People and Forest Worker was detained in PS Biharigarh, Saharanpur, UP on 28th june 2011 on false charges filled by Forest dept. In protest of this illegal arrest and detention thousands of dalits and vangujjar muslim community belonging to forest areas of UP and Uttarakhand gheroad the police station and took over the police station for whole day on 29th June 2011. Police was on defensive and surrendered in front of women who locked the police personnel inside thier rooms and did not allow them to work for whole of the day. It was due to the strong women leadership of tongia villages and vangujjars that Noorjamal was released with honor and unconditionally in the afternoon. The false charges framed on two other leaders Jahoor hasan and Irshad Ahmed were also withdrawn by the UP Police. The DSP apologized for these false charges. Noorjamal was taken out of police station with honor. The women challenged both the UP and Uttarakhand police and forest officials that they will not tolerate any more injustice and any official who denies their forest rights will be punished. The protest in the police station has sent shock waves among the police and the forest officials in the entire region that is just 30 km from dehradun. After a victorious release people gheroad the Mohand forest range that filled false charges on these innocent vangujjar, but after seeing people coming the forest officials fled from the range premises. The entire forest range was also taken over by the people and they have announced that now forest belongs to them and not to corrupt forest dept. This is indeed a great victory of the people's movement and women leadership. 

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NFFPFW (Kaimur) / Human Rights Law Centre
Purab Mohal, Near Sarita Printing Press, Munsifi Chauraha
Robertsganj, 
District Sonbhadra 231216
Uttar Pradesh
Tel : 91-9415233583, 05444-222473
Email : romasnb@gmail.com
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