WHAT IS PATHALGADI
Pathalgadi is an age old tribal tradition of disseminating information to villagers through writings on stone plaques called Pathalgadi
This practice has now been adopted by many tribal villages in the past year to declare their gram sabha as a sovereign authority. Stone plaques have been put up outside tribal settlements and hamlets across Jharkhand’s Khunti, Simdega, Gumla and West Singhbhum districts
The villagers discard the government’s welfare schemes. They run their own school and banks. The villages are guarded by armed Pathalgadi supporters
Nearly 100 villages including more than 70 in Khunti area have been declared Pathalgadi villages, which are situated in dense forest areas been intensified to rescue them,” said additional director general (operation) of police RK Mallick.
In the evening, Pathalgadi leaders expressed a willingness to hold talks to release the house guards and asked the authorities to send a team of five officials only. The police was yet to respond to their demand.
Last week, a Christian priest Fr Alfanso Aien, of the Mission school from where the women were abducted, was arrested for allegedly trying to hushing up the crime.
Two others accused in the case were also arrested the same day. Additional director general (operation) RK Mallick said the two accused, identified as Ajub Sandi and Ashish Longo, had confessed to the crime and also shooting a video of it and forcing the survivors to drink urine on directions from Tidu, who wanted to teach them a lesson for entering the village.
Pathalgadi is a practice adopted by tribal villages in which they declare their gram sabha as a sovereign authority rejecting the central or state government’s jurisdiction.