The remains of the HOWL (How ought we live) collective’s campus in Shukrawasa village were set on fire by unidentified individuals months after its demolition by the local administration. The blaze, which broke out on October 30, gutted books, two vehicles, machinery and a flour mill that had long helped several tribal families in the village.

Built on land owned by Devraj Rawat, a Samiti member of HOWL, the campus used to serve as a centre for employment, informal education and community initiatives led by the Parvatpura Panchayat Development Committee (PPDC). The fire signified more than material loss for the Adivasis who ran the Samiti – it was a destruction of a space that embodied their dignity and self-reliance.

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‘No one dares to speak’
“We saw who set the fire, but no one dares to speak,” said a woman associated with the Samiti, who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “We are poor and afraid.”

Speaking to The Wire, she said the attack followed a verbal threat earlier that day. “We were cleaning the campus that morning. Nilesh Patel and Brahmanand Chaudhary came asking if Sir Sourav Banerjee was returning, and warned us before leaving: ‘See at night. It will cost you to leave the village’.” The woman said that night, the campus caught fire.