We have successfully completed a march with close to 10,000 people including children, men, women and even senior citizens of tribal communities from 20 districts of Jharkhand for their right to the Forests and Land. The march, also called ‘Paidal march’ (Marching on foot) began on 20th February from Columbus ground at Hazaribagh and concluded at Ranchi on 27th February covering 110 kilometers. The demands are simple – full rights of the tribal communities on the land, water and other resources of the forests from which they are being systematically alienated. Earlier it was the British who exploited the forest dwellers and after Independence, the Indian Forest Act ignored their rights depriving them of the usage of the forest and its resources which they always had access to and which always belonged to them since time immemorial. However, later the Government of India recognised the injustice done to the forest dwellers and brought the “Schedule Tribe and Other Traditional
Dear Friends, The blessed month of Ramadan has started - may Allah bestow His mercy and blessings on you and your families. Month of Ramzan is known for charity, the third pillar of Islam and Muslims have spiritual obligations to pay their Zakat, Sadaqah, Fidya or Kafarah this month. Other charities are almost a person's will but Zakat is necessary for the people's own assets and properties. Quran has designated eight categories of reason which are zakatable. freeing captives [or slaves] is one of those (see Quran-9:60). Being a member of community I have seen people donating their Zakat for many purposes except freeing captives or slaves just because many of them believe that slavery doesn't exist on this planet which is factually wrong, the slavery has changed its form but it still is live and intense more than ever.... In 2006, I had established an organization, which is working to rescue and rehabilitate trafficked girls and helping communities to lift themsel