New Delhi- A Lawyers collective including more than 100 advocates, legal professionals, and law students from across India have jointly appealed to President Droupadi Murmu, the Governor of Chhattisgarh, and the state's Chief Minister, urging them to immediately revoke the ban on the Adivasi rights organization Moolvasi Bachao Manch (MBM), release all its imprisoned members, and repeal the controversial Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act (CSPSA), 2005.

The appeal, issued under the banner of the National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR), condemns the state's crackdown on peaceful Adivasi dissent and highlights the misuse of draconian laws to suppress constitutional rights.

The letter comes in response to the recent re-arrest of MBM activists Suneeta Pottam and Dasru Podiyam by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 3, 2025, in connection with a 2023 case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Both were already in judicial custody in unrelated cases when they were taken into NIA custody, raising concerns about a deliberate strategy to keep vocal Adivasi rights defenders behind bars indefinitely. The arrests are part of a broader pattern of repression against MBM, which was banned by the Chhattisgarh government on October 30, 2024, under the CSPSA.

MBM, formed in the aftermath of the 2021 Silger firing in which security forces killed four Adivasi protesters, has been a platform for peaceful advocacy, demanding accountability for state violence, forest rights, and Gram Sabha consent in development projects. The organization has consistently invoked constitutional protections such as the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act (FRA). However, the state government’s notification banning MBM accused it of "instigating the public against development works and security force camps"—a claim the lawyers' letter strongly refutes.

The appeal argues that MBM’s opposition to infrastructure projects and security camps was not an "anti-development" stance but a lawful assertion of constitutional rights. Under PESA and FRA, Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas must give prior consent for projects affecting their land and resources.

The letter states, "What the State characterizes as ‘obstruction’ is in fact protected by law and the Constitution." It further condemns the CSPSA as a "deeply flawed law" that allows arbitrary bans without requiring proof of violence or incitement, criminalizes mere association with banned groups, and lacks judicial oversight.

Since its formation, MBM has faced relentless persecution, with at least 30 members arrested in what NAJAR describes as "fabricated cases." Among those targeted is Raghu Midiyami, MBM’s former president, arrested in February 2025 for allegedly mobilizing protests against road construction and paramilitary camps "at the behest of Maoists"—an accusation the letter dismisses as baseless. Suneeta Pottam, a prominent Adivasi rights activist, has been acquitted in nine out of twelve cases filed against her but was re-arrested under the NIA’s UAPA case, a move seen as an attempt to silence dissent through prolonged detention.

The letter warns that the crackdown is not just retaliation for past activism but part of a broader strategy to suppress scrutiny of state actions in Bastar, including extrajudicial killings, custodial torture, and unchecked militarization. It expresses grave concern that the case against MBM members could become a "legal black hole," ensnaring more activists under vague allegations.

NAJAR’s appeal calls on constitutional authorities to intervene, emphasizing the President and Governor’s duty to ensure peace and good governance in Scheduled Areas. It demands the immediate withdrawal of the ban on MBM, the unconditional release of all detained members, the repeal of the CSPSA, and an end to the criminalization of Adivasi protests.

The lawyers’ collective warns that the state’s actions threaten to deter an entire generation of Adivasi youth from exercising democratic rights. "The criminalization of a peaceful Adivasi platform signals a deepening hostility towards even lawful dissent," the letter states. With legal and civil society groups rallying behind the cause, the appeal marks a crucial step in the growing resistance against the suppression of Adivasi voices in Chhattisgarh.

Read the full letter here.