leaders from Gumla and those who steered against Netarhat Field Firing range in the past have now stirred villagers against the proposed plan of relocation of 8 villages from the tiger reserve Palamu.
A few thousand people marched in Garu and vowed not to get any displaced or relocated by the PTR on Thursday August 10. A memorandum of protest cum demand was given to ranger Garu East Rajinder Shukla. Shukla has confirmed to have received this charter of protest cum demand.
Sources said people leading this march were mostly from Gumla and the big local faces were just absent which showed that outside forces were playing with the sentiments of the locals added sources..
R P Shukla ranger Garu East told The Pioneer ‘ There were leaders mostly from Gumla side. There were also people who had campaigned against Netarhat Field Firing range. Big local leaders were invisible. It appears a kind of misinformation launched by some vested interests’.
PTR is understood to have a plan to relocate 8 villages from PTR. Sources said the relocation of 8 is not to be done by any force but with the consent and readiness of the villagers through their respective Gram Sabhas.
And it is to be done phase wise.If the Gram Sabhas agree to relocation then only this exit from the PTR. If Gram Sabhas object to it then no relocation at all. This vital clause has been confirmed by deputy director south division PTR Mahaling and ranger R P Shukla of Garu East range
However, some forces have spread the canard that there is a hidden move to oust people from these 8 villages namely Henar, Kujroom, latoo, Pandra, Ramandaag, Gutwa, Gopkharn and bIjaypur. Its result was that more than two thousand people came out on the road of Garu shouting against any relocation.
Sources said there is apprehension that down and withered CPI Maoists who are just spending their entire energy in saving themselves from coming in the firing line of security forces may give covert support to this manouevered public protest against plan for relocation of 8 villages in phases by PTR.
Sources said the Maoists over the last two years have not been in a position in Garu or in latehar district to champion any public cause as ther time is getting spent in shifting from one rendezvous to other this public fulmination against plan to relocate villages by PTR may come as a windfall gain for the Maoists.
Sources said a similar anti Mandal dam stir was most violently fanned by civil society activists in the mid nineties in which then then extremist group identified as Mazdoor Kissan Sangrami Parishad an out fit of then CPI Ml Party Unity had slaughtered the superintending engineer B N MIshra of the Mandal Dam at his Mandal dam based official residence.
Sources said PTR officials are careful now following this public protest against the plan to relocate 8 villages.
Deputy director South division PTR Mahaling said ‘ There will be no forceful or coercive relocation of any of the villages. If at all there will be relocation it will be only with the consent of the villagers and through Gram Sabhas. If villagers show unwillingness to move out then relocation issue dies there itself’.
Sources said if there is this clarity for relocation then these noises on the Garu streets are not what one hears there as ulterior motives behind it can be felt more than seen.