October 2026 : The ‘Adivasi Nyay Yatra’, organised in support of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Chaitar Vasava, reached Kwant in Chhota Udepur district on its sixth day. Local residents accorded a grand welcome to AAP leaders with traditional drums and tribal dances, reflecting strong enthusiasm and support from the tribal community.
Those present during the yatra included AAP Kisan Morcha state president Praveen Ram, state organisational secretary and Narmada district president Niranjan Vasava, Chhota Udepur district president Radhikaben Rathwa, state vice-president Rajubhai Valvai, and Shakuntalaben and Varshaben, the wives of MLA Chaitar Vasava.
Addressing a gathering in Kwant, Praveen Ram criticised the state government, alleging injustice against the tribal community. He said he had spent the previous Diwali in jail and asserted that the struggle against what he described as government injustice would continue. He alleged that BJP leaders believed suppressing the tribal community’s voice would end the movement, but maintained that people were now aware of their rights.
Referring to allegations made by Shakuntalaben and Varshaben, Ram claimed that Shakuntalaben had been wrongly imprisoned for three months despite having committed no offence. He also alleged that an infant girl, just 17 days old, had been sent to jail. He said the tribal community would not forget the alleged treatment of its women and children and would hold the government accountable.
Ram further alleged that state machinery was being misused to intimidate Chaitar Vasava, who, he said, had been fighting for tribal rights over water, forests, land and other entitlements. He called on the community to unite against what he described as injustice.
AAP Chhota Udepur district president Radhikaben Rathwa alleged that the BJP had failed to adequately address the educational needs of tribal children. She credited Chaitar Vasava with raising the issue of scholarships in the state Assembly, saying the initiative had benefited many young people.
She also alleged that tribal families were facing threats of displacement under hydro-mining projects. Calling for unity, she urged the community to seek Vasava’s release and hold the BJP government accountable in the 2027 elections.
Shakuntalaben Vasava said the yatra had received an enthusiastic response from villages between Umargam and Kwant. She said Chaitar Vasava had consistently raised issues concerning tribal rights, education, electricity, roads, student scholarships and the rights guaranteed under the Fifth Schedule. She alleged that he was repeatedly implicated in false cases for speaking up for farmers and tribal communities.
Recalling her family’s imprisonment, she said nine people had been sentenced to seven years in jail and that her 17-day-old daughter had also been in prison with them. She expressed confidence that voters would hold the government accountable in 2027.
Varshaben Vasava said the yatra had begun in Umargam, passed through Ambaji and was heading towards Gandhinagar, where a large convention was planned. She appealed to people to participate in large numbers to demand justice for Chaitar Vasava.
Thanking the people of Kwant, she said the family was going through difficult times in the absence of its head. She added that Chaitar Vasava had left a government job to dedicate himself to social service and the rights of tribal communities, and expressed hope that the community would stand firmly with the family during this period.
