Ahead of the BMC elections 2022, Agris, Kolis, and East Indians communities to present united

All the indigenous communities of Mumbai city, as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections 2022 approach have joined hands for a campaign called AKEI with a theme of “Apla Gaav, Aapla Gaav”. AKEI consists of Agris, Kolis and East Indian communities. The purpose behind joining hands is to discuss the problems faced by them. The community will soon launch its political party. 

 

The communities have promised that they will be united as one community and treated as genuine stakeholders in the development and growth of the city while safeguarding the unique identification of cultures and their lands. “As we are the sons of the soil, so we have the first right in our native place in the city of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). In the name of growth and development, our lands are being destroyed and still, we are not getting any benefits from it. To protect our gaothans/ villages that are being mislabelled as slums in the projects of development, we are running from pillar to post,” stated Bryce Rodericks, Andheri Taluka Sarpanch, Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP). 

 

Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP) which is an umbrella body that represents the East Indian Community, a total of 500 gaothans were present in the city of Mumbai, Thane, Vasai and Raigad. Out of AKEI, the Koli community conveyed that their community was feeling strangled both physically and economically by the depletion of the shoreline and rampant development projects on land. From Sion Koliwada, Bhavesh Vaity stated about the threats of the projects for the village. 

 

“No government has ever thought about our rights. Our fishing and land rights are being violated and tweaked in the name of development projects. Without providing any compensation the government has acquired our land. It has been many years that we have been running from pillars to post in search of solutions. With the formation of Agris, Kolis and East Indian Community (AKEI) we aim to have an active political representation.” 

 

 

Image Courtesy: Free Press Journal