Despite all efforts made by the District Administration and warning by the State Government that stringent action will be taken against the anti-social elements behind it, Patthalgadi was again performed in five villages of Khunti followed by a public meeting organized by Adiwasi Mahasabha member Yusuf Purti at Mochia village on Thursday. Purti addressing a gathering of around 15,000 villagers said that Patthalgadi was an age old tradition of Tribals in which they were depicting their Constitution rights.
District Administration on the other chose to wait and watch which is conducting intensive awareness campaign in the area appealing people not to get carried away with the anti-social elements and take part in ‘Patthalgadi.’ The five villages in which ‘Patthalgadi’ was done are Hardalam, Tubil, Padasu, Cholkad and Muchia.
“Patthalgadi is being done by the tribals only to protect their land as there is no ‘khatian’ in their names and also to make people aware of their constitutional rights,” said Purti. It was being done since ages, but was highlighted in the media only for the last two years, he added.
“Through Patthalgadi, provisions of the constitutional rights granted to Gram Sabha are depicted so that the people should know their constitutional Rights,” said Purti. The State Government should make it clear that what were the rights of Gram Sabha and stop creating differences between Tribal and non - Tribal, he added.
Purti further said that the State Government has been trying to prove ‘Patthagadi’ as an illegal activity which is not correct.
“The State Government has been ignoring the Tribals by implementing ordinary law in scheduled areas while we want self-governance through Gram Sabha hence Patthalgadi is being done despite government pressure,” said Purti. Gram Sabha can make laws and punish people for not abiding by it and to lodge cases against tribals, prior permission from Privy Council of Britain has to be taken, he added.
When asked the media persons about the charges leveled against them that they were protecting and promoting poppy cultivation under the garb of Patthalgadi, Purti said that poppy cultivation was being done since long but their campaign was started only two years back.
Meanwhile, the District Administration has launched intensive awareness campaign in the area against ‘Patthaldadi’ appealing people not to get carried away with the illogical arguments given by the anti-social elements.
“People are being mobilized against it and at least three meetings were conducted recently in the area by Deputy Commissioner Suraj Kumar following which the villagers themselves rooted out the ‘Patthalgadi’ done by them in at least two villages,” said Arki Block Development Officer Ranjeeta Toppo. Preventing villagers from doing ‘Patthalgadi’ might casus law and order problems and hence wait and watch policy has been adopted to deal with the situation, she added.
Meanwhile, the people involved in provoking villagers by distorting the provisions of Constitution of India are being identified against whom action will be taken, said the BDO.