Sitabai Tadvi, activist at forefront of tribal and farmer protests, dies
Sitabai Tadvi, 56, who took half within the protests in opposition to the brand new farm legal guidelines at Shahjahanpur border died on Wednesday in Jaipur. A tribal and marginal farmer from Maharashtra’s tribal-dominated Nandurbar district, Tadvi was related to Lok Sangharsh Morcha (LSM) for the previous 25 years and was energetic in numerous protests for tribals and farmer rights.
“She was in Delhi at Shahjahanpur border since January 16 and even took part in January 26 Republic Day parade by farmers. When I last spoke to her on Tuesday evening, she said she was fine. However, on Wednesday, she complained that she was feeling cold and things deteriorated suddenly. She died even as she was being moved to a hospital in Jaipur,” stated Pratibha Shinde, chief of Lok Sangharsha Morcha.
The LSM has labored for tribal rights within the tribal-dominated district of Nandurbar in Maharashtra. Tadvi took up activism after she was uprooted from her village as a result of development of Ambabari dam on the Dehli river that ran near her village.
“She was one of our leading activists. Every notable social activist in the state while visiting Akkalkuwa taluka would make it a point to visit her house. Her and her family’s commitment to the tribal cause was immense. Her death is a massive setback to our cause,” Shinde stated.
Over the previous 25 years, Tadvi was detained and arrested plenty of occasions for collaborating in agitations espousing the reason for tribals and farmers within the state. She earlier visited Delhi in 2019 and took half in an agitation demanding the correct implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. She was on the forefront of each tribal and farmer agitation within the state, together with the march in opposition to Reliance Industries in Mumbai on December 22.
Her funeral will happen at Ambabari village Friday morning. “How many more farmers will the Centre sacrifice for its own ego?” stated Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat whereas providing condolences.