Closing the gap between law and practice on indigenous peoples rights in India

indigenous rights advocacy centre


Latest Updates

Interventions Latest Updates Press Releases

Human Rights Day: IRAC demands release of tribal undertrial prisoners in India

On the occasion of the Human Rights Day (10 December 2022) tribal rights organization, Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) has…
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Reports

Briefing Paper: Criminalization and prosecution of tribals in false cases in India

A Briefing Paper by the Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) was published on the occasion of Human Rights Day, December…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Arrest and torture of tribal youth in a fabricated case in Kerala

On September 29, 2022, a tribal youth identified as Sarin Saji (24 years) was arrested in an alleged fabricated case…
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Interventions Latest Updates Uncategorized

Custodial death of a tribal due to alleged torture by forest officials in Karnataka

On October 12, 2022, a tribal man identified as Kariyappa alias Kariya (49) reportedly died due to alleged torture by…
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Latest Updates Reports

IRAC Briefing Paper # 3: Impacts of tiger reserves on indigenous peoples

Download: http://irac.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/India-Impacts-of-tiger-reserves-on-indigenous-peoples_Final_Print_Version.pdf
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Uncategorized

Arbitrary arrest, custodial torture and false prosecution of 4 tribal villagers in Madhya Pradesh

On September 10, 2022, four tribal villagers were arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and falsely prosecuted for cultivating land in the vicinity…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Torture of tribal youth by the forest staff in the Melaghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district of Maharashtra

On August 25, 2022 a 25 year old tribal youth identified as Ankush Gorelal Mavaskar, a resident of Dhulghat Railway,…
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Interventions Latest Updates

NHRC seeks action taken report from Odisha regarding destruction of crops and burning down of tribal huts

Acting on a complaint received from Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the…
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Interventions Press Releases

IRAC seeks action against killing of a tribal man by forest officials in Madhya Pradesh

The Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) has strongly condemned the reported killing of a tribal man identified as Chain Singh…
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Newsletters

Newsletter: The “Indigenous Rights Monitor”, Vol.2, Issue.2

IRAC’s Quarterly Newsletter, “Indigenous Rights Monitor” covering the reporting period March 1, 2022 and May 31, 2022 is available at:…
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Latest Updates Reports

Situation of the Indigenous Peoples in India – Annual Report 2021

There are 104.3 million Scheduled Tribes, also called tribal or Adivasi, who are the indigenous peoples of India, constituting 8.6%…
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Interventions Latest Updates

IRAC Impact: NHRC summons Jharkhand Chief Secretary over starvation of tribals

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)  has summoned the Jharkhand Chief Secretary and the District Magistrate of Garhwa district to…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Custodial death of Kuravar tribal man in Tamil Nadu

On April 27, 2022, K. Thangamani (47),a tribal belonging to the Kuravar community, died in judicial custody due to alleged…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Kidnapping and killing of two tribal villagers by the Maoists in Maharashtra

On 14 April 2022, two tribal villagers namely Dalsu Hichami and Ashok Naroti were kidnapped and killed by the Maoists…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Torture and humiliation of tribal youth by the police in Telangana

On the night of March 23, 2022, Madavi Nagaraju (19 years) who was earlier tortured and humiliated by the police…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Custodial torture of Adivasi farmer by police official in Jharkhand

On the intervening night of 23-24 February 2022, a 42-year-old Adivasi farmer named Anil Kumar Singh was brutally tortured by…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Killing of Kapil Majhi  by Maoists on the suspicion of being a police informant in Odisha

On 14 February 2022, a 32-year-old tribal man identified as Kapil Majhi  was killed by the Maoists on the suspicion…
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Reports

INDIA BRIEFING PAPER ON EVICTION

In order to control surging Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in India, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced a complete country-wide lockdown…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Starvation of 33 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) families due to denial of ration in Jharkhand

On February 8, 2022 the Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) has moved the NHRC against denial of food ration to…
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Interventions Latest Updates

Forced eviction of 45 Bodo tribal families by the forest department in Guwahati city of Assam

On January 31, 2022, 45 Bodo tribal families comprising of around 300 persons were forcibly evicted y the forest department…
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Who We Are

The Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) is a not-for-profit organization that advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples in India. The organisation is run and led by a diverse team comprising of committed indigenous rights defenders  and lawyers. Under the able guidance of an Advisory Board, the team is led by human rights lawyer Dilip Kanti Chakma. IRAC seeks to combine practice, research, advocacy and collaboration as an effective method to promote and protect the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples. Read More

What We Do

Research

We carry out research on current and ongoing challenges pertaining to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and well-being.  IRAC seeks to collaborate with relevant international organizations, academic institutions and indigenous and other civil society organizations to encourage interdisciplinary approaches to current issues in Indigenous Peoples’ studies.

Advocacy

IRAC engages in coordinated  and strategic advocacy actions to promote meaningful reforms by state and non-state actors to improve protections for indigenous people’s rights. It supports Indigenous Peoples rights in India and in the South Asian region by strengthening local indigenous rights movements to bring awareness and international pressure to their struggles while enhancing Indigenous communities’ capacity to demand and assert their rights outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Interventions

We make timely and effective interventions on rights violations of the indigenous peoples in India. The interventions are both at the legal and policy level.

Capacity Building

We impart and facilitate training and capacity building programs  for individuals and organisations within the indigenous  communities in India to build skills and tools to protect against rights violations. The aim of the training programmes are to improve the situation of indigenous peoples in the country through capacity building and awareness raising on indigenous peoples’ issues.

Legal Support

We provide free legal support and representation to victims of rights violations, specially to IP Human Rights Defenders and WHRDs. We also run a free LEGAL HELPLINE manned by volunteers.

Collaboration & Solidarity

IRAC believes in collaborative alliances and actions in particular those working with and supporting human rights defenders, especially indigenous land and forest defenders and local communities. IRAC collaborates and works together with like minded organisations working for indigenous peoples rights in the region and globally; and for the protection, promotion and defence  of human rights and fundamental freedoms   across the world. Read More