‘They have burned down our protest site but they have not extinguished our movement.’

India Indigenous People Coal

‘They have burned down our protest site but they have not extinguished our movement.’

Jun 14, 2024

Ramal Kariyam, a village leader in India's Hasdeo forests, describes how his community is standing up to Adani and the local authorities, despite unwarranted detentions and an arson attack.

Ramal Kariyam, a village leader, describes the day a battalion of police arrived in the dead of night to detain defenders of India’s Hasdeo forests. While the authorities occupied the area, the Adani company cut down thousands of trees to make way for coal mining. Peaceful resistance continues, despite government backflips and an arson attack on the villagers' protest site.

In this video interview with Abir Dasgupta, Kariyam describes the challenges faced by his people in defending their ancestral lands from Adani's coal-mining extravaganza.

‘They have burned down our protest site but they have not extinguished our movement.’ - YouTube

A forest setting where an inhabitant cares for her livestock. Image Brian Cassey