![Hundreds of villages in Jharkhand have erected huge rock-pillars at the gateway of their settlements [Image courtesy: YouTube]](/content/dam/week/news/india/images/2018/5/2/pathalgadi-yt.JPG "Hundreds of villages in Jharkhand have erected huge rock-pillars at the gateway of their settlements [Image courtesy: YouTube]")
The Pathalgadi movement of Adivasi community in Jharkhand has reached neighboring Chhattisgarh. A retired IAS officer and a former PSU officer, who allegedly participated in the inauguration of Pathalgadi in three villages of Jashpur in north-eastern part of state, have even been arrested.
Pathalgadi is a tradition of Adivasi villages, in which huge rock pillar-inscriptions of important event or notice are raised at the entrance of the village. This tradition was revived by renowned social worker Brahmdev Sharma in the 90s when he led a movement to ensure strengthening of grass-roots democracy through ‘gram sabhas’.
Under the new form of Pathalgadi, hundreds of villages of Jharkhand have erected huge rock-pillars at the gateway of their settlements proclaiming that they are part of the Fifth Schedule area where local gram sabhas are vested with special powers regarding their “way of life and no outsider is allowed to move freely, settle, do business or employment for livelihood’’.
Raising of such rock pillars has now become popular as 'Pathalgadi movement'. One after the other, several villages are raising such rocks at the entrance to register their protest against the establishment. Fearing a large scale tribal uprising, the Jharkhand police have arrested several activists promoting this movement.
The movement reached Chhattisgarh last week. Retired IAS officer Herman Kindo and former senior official at ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) Joseph Tigga were arrested on charges of alleged misinterpretation of the Constitution and inciting Adivasis through Patthalgadi movement. The two officers were present in Bachargaon village when a green rock pillar was erected in a ceremony attended by thousands of Adivasis.
Similar plaques were erected in two other villages also. The plaques mention the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of Indian Constitution and the POSCO Act which say that gram sabhas are sole powerful institutions in case of tribal villages.
The officers were arrested and charged under section 149 (unlawful assembly), 153B (promoting enmity between religious groups), 505(1)c (with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). They have been sent to jail under 15 days judicial remand.
Chhatisgarh Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra had termed the Pathalgadi movement as a conspiracy by anti-national elements. He termed the whole exercise as undemocratic.
Meanwhile, Prabal Pratap Singh Judeo, BJP leader and and scion of Jashpur royal family known, who is known for the 'ghar-vapsi' campaign, has started a 'sadhbhawana yatra' in Adivasi villages to contain the discontent among the tribals and discourage them from raising such rock-plaques.