Gujarat govt declares 27% quota for OBCs in civic bodies
Honouring the promise it made last week, the Gujarat government on Tuesday declared a 27 per cent quota for Other…
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the seaplane service to the Statue of Unity (SoU) on 31 October, the Gujarat government has externed social activist Lakhan Musafir who had been leading the tribals’ protests against their forcible eviction from their ancestral land.
Gandhian activist Lakhan Musafir had been in the forefront of all struggles of tribals against taking away their ancestral lands for tourism projects linked to the 182- metre statue of Sardar Patel at Sadhu Bet of Narmada river.
He is also very popular among the tribals for his activities like organic farming, bio-gas plants and education projects.
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Musafir has been banned for six months from the vicinity of the Statue of Unity and also five districts of Narmada, Chhota Udepur, Vadodara, Bharuch and Tapi.
The sub-divisional magistrate(SDM) of Rajpipla, who ordered the six-month ban on Musafir, has accused him of inciting people, violent activities, arms and liquor trade, the same charges the police had levelled against him in March this year.
The banishment notice on the Gandhian activist was preceded by some right-wing people failing to convince local tribals to file a complaint against him levelling serious allegations.
Musafir had refuted all these allegations and more than half a dozen hearings were held in the last six months. He had filed his reply on 13 July to which the police rejoinder was pending, but suddenly the SDM passed the final banishment order last week without giving Musafir the mandatory chance to present his witnesses.
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