To deal with the recent problems arising out of ‘Patthalgadhi’ the Khunti district administration has started establishing direct dialogue with the villagers educating them about the benefits of government schemes meant only for them. District officials said that ‘Pathalgaddi,’ an age old tradition of the tribal people, was being misused by some anti- social elements who have been trying to misuse it for their vested interest by misguiding the poor and innocent villagers in some of the tribal dominated parts of Khunti and Simdega.
“Considering it as a socio-political problem, we have been doing intensive community policing in the areas where such things are being reported where we try to make them understand not to get carried away with the fake assurances given by the anti-social elements as their welfare of their families is their priority,” said Khunti DC Suraj Kumar. Awareness is the only an foremost solution to this problem where the government officials need to go and talk directly to the people and make them know about the schemes being conducted for their welfare only, he added.
“After making direct dialogue with the villagers, Gram Pradhan, Munda through camp organization, Janata Darbars and Vikas Melas, the biggest challenge before us will be to provide benefits on the ground as promised to them. The Special Central Assistance will help a lot in this,” said the DC. Since it is a socio-political problem, special support from media and political leaders will also be required to educate the villagers at the ground level, he added.
A conference with Gam Pradhans is also being organized very soon to establish direct dialogue with them during which problems from each of them will also be heard and will be sorted out.
Khunti SP also said that the area of ongoing community policing and direct dialogue with the villagers will be increased; besides taking action against the legal procedures as such incidents have reported to have come down in the areas where action has been taken against the anti-social elements.
“But the villagers first need to be made aware of the reality in the first phase, action part will be executed in the later stage,” said Khunti SP Ashwini Kumar Sinha.
Reportedly, a joint team of State Police and CRPF, including a Sub-Inspector, were allegedly were made hostage at Kurunda village of Khunti for over 6 hours which had gone to arrest Gram Pradha Sagar Singh Munda on Wednesday. They were released only after a written assurance was given to them by the Deputy Commissioner that Munda will not be arrested.
IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson RK Mallick also asserted that they are keeping a close eye on the situation and measures are being taken to deal with it accordingly.
The ruling political party BJP, terming it as one of the oldest cultural practices of tribal residents of Jharkhand to put huge monoliths on the grave of their ancestors, has also demanded the State Government to check any illegal ‘Pathhalgadi’ in the State and take strict action against those responsible for it after identifying them.
Recently, incidents of ‘patthalgadi’ in some tribal dominated districts like Khunti and Simdga was witnessed, where the villagers also tried to ban the entry of administration in some of the areas and top district officials were made captive for several hours.