Chhattisgarh tribals declare villages as republics, 8 arrested
RAIPUR: Police in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur have arrested eight people, including a retired IAS officer, for supporting the Pathalgadi movement under which several villages in the district were declared as “autonomous republics” by tribals, officials said on Wednesday.
“We have arrested eight persons, including former IAS officer Herman Kindo, and the situation in the district is under control,” Jashpur SP Prashant Singh said. He added that Joseph Tigga, a former ONGC employee who was the torchbearer of the movement along with Kindo in six panchayats of Jashpur, was also held. The arrests were made under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for alleged misrepresentation of the Constitution and inciting villagers.
Tribals put huge stone plaques, known locally as Pathalgadi, outside their villages claiming autonomy under the fifth schedule of the Constitution, which gives them the right for self-governance, stating that no outsider will be allowed entry and all development activities will be decided and done by them.
In Chhattisgarh, the first incident was reported this week and both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress united in claiming that local tribals have been misled by outsiders.
Tribals of a few villages in Jashpur held a meeting on April 22. They put a plaque outside their villages declaring autonomy under the Panchayats (Extension of Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The law provides for self-governance in the schedule (tribal dominated) areas of the country. Local police officers said a clash broke out on April 28 between two groups over Pathalgadi in a Butunga village, after which security personnel were rushed in. The force later moved in and on basis of the complaint by some locals made arrests. Chhattisgarh home minister Ramsewak Paikra said declaring autonomy “was a conspiracy by some retired officials, which is undemocratic”.
The Congress, which has constituted a committee to meet the tribals, said locals were being misled and added BJP had failed to work for them. “It is also true that the reason behind such movement is an apathy of state government towards tribals,” TS Singhdeo, Congress leader and leader of opposition in state assembly, said.