Skip to main content

Jharkhand: 50% of land bank "reserved" for industrialists, govt "takes advantage" of tribals' lack of awareness

By A Representative
Even as discussing the menace of "growing communalism" and increasing incidence of lynching minorities, a broad coalition of citizens and organisations came together at Ranchi's GIL Church complex's Human Resource and Development Centre on Thursday under the banner of Sajha Kadam to express "grave concern" over the right to life, including attempts to "dilute" people's rights to land, work and food.
Father Stan Swamy, who has been active among the tribals for decades, welcomed the recent rejection of dangerous amendments to the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, calling it a people's victory, but he also pointed out that the proposed "land banks" posed an ever greater threat to people's right to life.
Even as pointing out that the government had a whopping 20 lakh acres in land bank, out of which 10 lakh acres had been reserved for industrialists, when he asked the audience who had heard of land banks, only a few participants raised their hand. He observed that this was a symptom of the silence and ignorance that surrounds this ominous move.
Women's rights activist and former member of the state women's commission Vasavi Kiro drew attention to another attack on the right to life that has passed almost unnoticed: the "mahua policy" that prevents people from storing more than 15 kg of mahua in Jharkhand (in Chhattisgarh the limit is even lower - 5 kg). Poor adivasis who keep more than that at home risk being thrown in jail.
Another activist Dayamani Barla presented a grim picture of the whole spectrum of attacks on people's livelihoods and land rights in recent years, including not only land banks and the mahua policy but also attempted dilutions of the land acquisition act. She said, the state government had set aside nearly 23 lakh acres for industrialists.
Participants heard a range of testimonies of people affected by these measures and also by failures of the state government to protect people's entitlements under the National Food Security Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
The session on communalism began with the presentation of a range of cultural resources (films, songs, poems, stories, plays, etc.) that can be used to counter communal propaganda. Participants resolved to use these resources to convene discussions of communalism and communal harmony in schools, universities, mohallas and villages.
Writer, activist and former IAS officer Harsh Mander spoke about the growing wave of communalism and communal violence in the country. He recalled how a young Muslim boy, Junaid, had been stabbed 30 times on a crowded train without anyone intervening, and then left to bleed for an hour on a railway platform before anyone tried to help. He emphasised that in this situation of growing communal violence, silence is a form of complicity - if we don't speak out, we are party to these crimes.
The participants agreed to initiate a series of public activities and meetings to spread public awareness of these issues and counter the poison of communalism.
The organisations that convened this event included Sajha Bagaicha, Right to Food Campaign, Jharkhand Jungle Bacha Andolan, Jharkhand Nagarik Prayas, AKHRA, All India People's Forum, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Ekta Parishad, United Mili Forum, NREGA Watch, Awami Insaf Manch (Jharkhand), Janwadi Lekhak Sangh (Ranchi), Jharkhand Adarsh Mahila Manch, Jharkhand Jan Sanskriti Manch, Mahua Adhikar Morcha, Idan, APCR Jharkhand, Aman Biradari, Bharat Jan Andolan among others.

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.