Ramesh and his family have no home, no food and no means to provide for their own livelihoods. They struggle as casual labourers to scrounge up enough to support themselves. They also now live in constant fear that their efforts to rebuild their lives will be destroyed again by the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation (MSFC) and other authorities. In the meantime, their struggle for land continues.

The following is Ramesh's story, as told to John P. Abraham, which tells of how his struggle to provide food and other basic necessities for his family arose and the latest developments surrounding his case.

"I, Ramesh Lakshman Sonawne, am 40 years old. I am an adivasi who has studied up to the seventh standard. I have two sons and a daughter. My married son and his wife also live with me. We live in the Rustapur village and have been living here for 20 years, cultivating government waste lands. I could grow sufficient grains for the entire year from these wastelands and occasionally I could sell a few bags if the rains were good and if I managed to sow two crops in a year. Sometimes, I would supplement my income with casual labour if necessary.

"I need four Pailee (approximately 7 kg) of grain every week for my family. We normally eat bajra (millet) in the winters and jowar (sorghum) during the hot seasons. In order to provide for my family's basic needs, I need to purchase about Rs. 200 per week of other items.

"As a casual labourer, if I work, I receive Rs. 50 per day. My wife and daughter also work on occasion, if available, and receive Rs. 30 per day per person. But, employment here is rare and there are weeks when we do not get any work at all.

"The Godavari river is located close by but only has water for 3 to 4 months every year. The river dries up because the water is diverted to the cities and the remaining water pumped up by landlords for sugarcane cultivation. Therefore, fishing as a source of food or income is not realistic."

"My struggle for land is a long and strenuous one as I am a landless adivasi. Many years ago, I occupied government wastelands which had been lying idle for the last 30 years. The state government had acquired this land under the Ceiling Act of 1961, but instead of distributing it to the landless, it formed a corporation to cultivate this land. About 80,000 acres of land was given to this corporation. Initially, the corporation cultivated the land but soon afterwards it could neither cultivate the land nor could pay its workers. The land was covered by thorny bushes when I arrived.

"I first began to make my living by collecting firewood from these thorny bushes. Then, since the land was not being cultivated by any one, I began to cultivate a small portion of this wasted land. There were also other adivasis who were cultivating similar lands in the same village. Over the years, we have made a number of appeals to the government to get the land regularized. However, the state government decided to give the land back to the landlords from whom the land was acquired from instead of giving it to the landless adivasis. This occurred partly due to the powerful lobbying and intense pressure of the Maratha community.

"Meanwhile we managed to get a High Court order which directed the government to look into our demands and not to be dispossessed of our holdings till our case is ruled upon. However, on July 21 2003, the MSFC, with the help of the police, demolished my hut and standing crops. I lost about 2 acres of bajra and almost all my belongings during the demolition. I was hopeful of putting up my hut again because we were not given any notice of eviction and the high court order was still standing. But, the next day, several officials came to the village and set fire to all that remained of my hut. Many other people's homes and crops were also destroyed.

"At the time of the demolitions, it was the rainy season and I had to remain in nearby bushes without much cover. Fortunately, the rains were not very heavy but, it was still very difficult for us to protect our few remaining possessions. Also, I came to know later that earlier court orders had prevented evictions in the rainy season. However, the government officials had no concern for our pathetic conditions. Even now, they still do not consider us as human beings.

"Since the eviction was not done in the proper manner, I filed a complaint at Rahata Police station. But, nothing was done after the complaint was filed. We then sent a letter to the District Superintendent of Police and still not action was taken. I also filed a private complaint at the Kopergaon Court. I feel that the case however, was not properly pleaded by our lawyer and therefore, I lost the case on grounds that the eviction was indeed legal. The ruling also stated that since the demolition was carried out by government servants we had to get permission from the government to file cases against them. I then filed an appeal stating that the documents regarding the demolition were not opened in the court to show that the demolition was in the due process of law.

"Now, the place where I have set up a temporary shelter does not have drinking water. The land belongs to the Rustapur village and there is no vegetation, it is simply meant for housing. However, in recent weeks, the landlord whose ancestors used to live in this area is now claiming the land belongs to him, not the village. We now fear that this is yet another ploy to get us evicted from this place of refuge."

"On May 26, 2005, at 6:00 pm, workers from the MSFC, with Babasaheb Ganapat Vani and Mr. Manjre, demolished my hut again after I rebuilt it, and took my possessions. Sravan Sahdu More, who has also occupied government land for some time, was present when the incident tool place.

"I filed a complaint at the Puntamba outpost, but the police there were unwilling to take up the matter. I also filed a complaint at the Rahata Police Station but until today, have not received any response.

"Although several government schemes exist for the welfare of adivasis, most do not reach us. The government has not provided us with land even though it has declared that it will distribute land to the landless. Government run ration card schemes also have not reached us as they are difficult to obtain and we often do not have the proper documentation. Many of the children in my hamlet are undernourished and famished. Yet, I read in the newspapers that the silos have tones of grain, plenty of which rots every year.

"I feel that even if the government does not provide us with anything, we can still manage our lives if let alone to cultivate the land which we have lived on and cultivated for so many years. The government neither protects its citizens nor allows us to look after ourselves. The livelihood options normally available to people like myself are also denied. Sometimes I feel that the government wants to decimate all of us, one by one."