CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, March 26: As the Netarhat Field Firing Range project ends in May this year, the tribals from the hill station demand that the project should not be extended by the government as it affects the life of lakhs of tribals who reside in 245 villages spread over 1471 square kilometers.
Sukhdeo Bhagat, a Congress leader and former MLA, has said that the government should think of setting up such firing ranges in places where there are very less population.
“The population of tribals living in this region is in lakhs. They will be displaced from their identity, tradition, culture and fundamental right to live. This would be a gross violation of the provision of Article 21 of the Constitution which ensures the life of a person and his personal liberty and dignity,” he said.
He also added that the tribals from Netarhat are not against the Indian Army but are just protecting their own fundamental rights.
“The tribals from this area are not against the Army. In fact, the son of Gumla, Albert Ekka, the first from Eastern Zone, who has been awarded the highest gallantry medal ‘Param Vir Chakra’ posthumously. Even in the Kargil war, three tribal soldiers of Gumla district were martyred and even today innumerable people from that area are in the Indian Army,” he added.
The slogan of ‘Jaan denge, zameen nahi denge’ (will sacrifice lives, not our lands) has been reverberating in Latehat district for the last 28 years since the shooting range was first set up in 1994.
Bhagat added that the government has been setting up wildlife reserves and sanctuaries in Netarhat but they do not care for the human population.
“The Government has also set up elephant corridors, tiger projects and wolf sanctuary in this region. Is the life of tribals less than these wild animals? This is a very sensitive human issue,” he stated.
Earlier, Sukhdeo Bhagat along with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bandhu Tirkey and others had handed over a memorandum to the then Governor Draupadi Murmu after holding a democratic dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan.
