How Madhya Pradesh is using externment provisions to curb activism, dissent
The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s decision in January to quash the externment of Adivasi activist Antaram Awase has put the spotlight on the weaponisation of legal provisions historically used against marginalised groups – even though the unjust laws used to stigmatise these communities have long been struck down.
The externment order against Awase had been issued in 2024 under the MP Rajya Suraksha Adhiniyam, which aims to strengthen “the security of the state” and maintain “public order”.
But the ambiguous definition of “law and order” or “public order” can result in actions that violate the fundamental rights of individuals that the state perceives as dissenters required to be disciplined, especially if they belong to marginalised groups.
Awase’s case illustrates the firming up of a worrisome template.
In January 2024, Burhanpur district magistrate Bhavya Mittal passed an externment order to remove Awase from Burhanpur and neighbouring districts for one year. The order was upheld by the divisional commissioner. Awase, who hails from the Barela Adivasi community, is a member of the Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, a collective that advocates for the rights of Dalit and indigenous communities.
In externing Awase, the district magistrate relied on 11 pending offences registered under the Indian Forest Act and two cases registered under the Indian Penal Code.
On January...
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