M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Mar 20: A determined and disciplined democratic stir by the villagers over the last 27 years has scripted a fresh history of people’s power.
Every March 22 and 23, villagers of 245 villages falling in two districts Latehar and Gumla assemble at Tutuwa Pani under Netarhat and in a rare example of solidarity resolve to disallow any field firing range here.
“This year, they may have a new visitor,” said Jerome Gerald Kujur, the secretary of the Kendriya Jan Sangharsh Samiti.
Rakesh Tikait of Bhartiya Kisan Union has been invited to be the chief guest in the 2-day annual assemblage of the villagers.
“We have sent a letter to Rakesh Tikait inviting him to be the chief guest in the 2-day annual deliberations against the proposed field firing range under the Netarhat police station,” said Jerome.
He said a close associate of Rakesh Tikait, Arjun Balia, has telephoned him about Rakesh Tikait is likely to visit the place.
Kujur said that an acquaintance of him in MP helped him to send his missive to Rakesh Tikait. “The Kisan leader will be lodged in Netarhat for two days if he visits us here,” he said.
The Officer in charge of the Netarhat police station Diwakar Dubey said, “We have also heard of Rakesh Tikait coming over here but till this day, we have no written intimation from the organization in this regard.” The police officer said he is in no position to make any comment on this.
Kujur said, “The 2-day ‘Virodh Avam Sankalp’ on March 22 and 23 will be to reaffirm our stand and vow not to allow the setting up of the field firing range here. Since 1994, residents of 245 villages of Latehar and Gumla in Jharkhand are resisting any move to set up this firing range here as it will cause a terrible and enormous displacement of around two lakh and fifty thousand households.”
“The note of dissent, resistance and protest is shown every year on March 22 – 23 which is always peaceful and democratic,” added Jerome.
On being asked that for 27 years, these two days are observed as the day of democratic protest, Kujur said it will be as this Jharkhand government has not yet annulled the notification of the undivided Bihar.
In 1994, the then undivided Bihar had notified a huge chunk of land under Netarhat for the air armament practice of the Indian Army. Had this air armament practice field come into existence it would have displaced the ever-highest number of people, around 2,50,000.
Men, women, boys and girls all decided not to have it at any cost and they chose the democratic process. They sat on dharna. They resolved not to yield but to resist. Their democratic fight proved their stir was legitimate.
The undivided Bihar government had notified 1,471 sq km area for it having an impact area of 188 sq km. It was notified under the Manoeuvres Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act 1938. Field firing is air armament practice.
India has such air armament practice fields in a few states like MP, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Jharkhand, it could not take off because of a very strong and democratic voice against it.
Sources said that this stir gave a very robust slogan at the outset. It was ‘Jaan Dey Deynge Par Zameen Nahi Deynge. (will sacrifice lives, not our lands).’ Then over the years, it was mellowed down with ‘neither we will lay down our lives, nor we will part with our land.’
It will be interesting to see if Rakesh Tikait visits here. There is no issue of MSP but Jharkhand deals with ‘Visthapan.’
Displacement is more on the anvil in Latehar and Garhwa districts than any other issue gripping the farmers here. 6-7 villages of Garhwa will submerge if the Mandal dam gets operational.
If the gram sabha agrees to relocation then 210 households living in two villages Kujrum and Latu in the Palamu tiger reserve will be moving out of the core area of the tiger reserve.
