Pathalgadi movement

Why in news?

• Almost a year after deciding to drop “all cases” related to the Pathalgadi movement of 2017-2018, the government of Jharkhand is still to send a requisition to the court to withdraw the cases.
•  Many of the cases involved charges of sedition filed by the previous BJP government.

What is Pathalgadi?

• Pathalgadi’ literally means carving a stone — it is an ancient tradition in the tribal communities of Jharkhand.  Adivasis usually erected engraved stones to mark the birth or death of a person.
• The practice took on a new meaning after tribal activists, former IAS officer B.D. Sharma (now deceased) and IPS officer Bandi Oraon, initiated the practice of erecting stones outside villages after the Panchayat (Extension of Scheduled Area) Act came into existence in 1996.
• That Act empowered the gram sabhas or panchayats to safeguard and preserve their traditions, community spaces and culture, and gave them the right to mandatory consultation in land acquisition.
• The two civil servants got stones engraved with the provisions of the PESA Act to spread awareness among the tribals about their rights.
• These green-painted stones are usually 15-feet long and 4-feet wide, and are found in four districts of Jharkhand, including Khunti, the birthplace of Adivasi icon Birsa Munda.
• The stones include excerpts from the PESA Act and the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which deals with the administration and control of ‘scheduled areas’ as well as of Scheduled Tribes residing in that area.
• The stones signify self-rule by the local gram panchayat, declaring the village as sovereign territory and prohibiting the entry of outsiders into the village.
• The supporters of the movement also declare the gram Sabha as the highest authority and refuse to obey the state and central governments.

About CNT and SNT acts:

• The CNT Act was enacted in 1908, eight years after the death of Birsa Munda. This Act extends to the north and south Chotanagpur and Palamau divisions.
• The SNT Act was passed in 1949, extending to Dumka, Sahibganj, Godda, Deoghar and Pakur in the Santhal Pargana region in eastern Jharkhand.
• Together, these Acts granted special protection and land rights to the tribals and prohibited the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals or the commercial use of the land without the permission of the concerned gram sabha.

Reinvigoration of Pathalgadi movement

• In May 2016, the BJP government introduced two ordinances — the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act 1908 (Amendment) Ordinance and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act 1949 (Amendment) Ordinance, which enabled commercial use of tribal land and made it easily transferable.
• The Act empowered the government to procure agricultural land from tribals for non-agricultural purposes.
• The Pathalgadi practice regained prominence after the ordinances were brought in, with tribal people erecting new stones as a mark of protest.
• They named it a battle for “jal-jangal-zameen” (water, jungles and land).
• The government later withdrew the ordinances.
• However, clashes between the establishment and the local population continued and turned violent and more than 10,000 people were booked for sedition between June 2017 and July 2018, when the movement was at its peak.

Prelims Question

Consider the following statements: 
1.Santhal Pargana district was created as a result of Santhal rebellion of 1855.
2.Sidhu and Kanhu were the main leaders of Santhal Rebellion.
Which among the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only 
(b)2 only 
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question