In the middle of a raging, divisive debate in Jharkhand over the provisions of a law that aims to protect the tribals’ land, several politicians, including some in the ruling coalition, are battling accusations of having acquired land in utter violation of this law.
More and more names of politicians who allegedly violated the contentious Chota Nagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act, 1908, are coming out even as leaders of all the parties are struggling to find a way out of the worsening mess over proposed relaxations to this law. The allegations have been particularly upsetting for the BJP-led four-party government as some of its leaders are among the alleged violators.
Sibu Soren, head of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, his son and deputy chief minister Hemant Soren, land and revenue minister Mathura Mahto of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Neel Kanth Singh Munda and the Opposition Congress party’s state chief Pradeep Balmuchu are some of the politicians currently facing allegations of having acquired tribal land in violation of the act.
While the act says that land belonging to tribals can be sold to and bought by other tribals residing in the same circle and police station areas as the landowning tribals, these leaders allegedly bought tribal land outside their circle and police station areas. Sources in the Jharkhand land and revenue department said there are many other politicians who engaged in similar violations.
With protests and demonstrations by both supporters and opponents of the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act’s stringent pro-tribal provisions getting more frequent, political opponents have engaged in disclosing details about land allegedly purchased illegally.
As per the law, permission from deputy commissioners of the districts is mandatory for every sale and purchase of tribal land. The DCs are also required by this law to restore land sold without their permission.
Mathura Mahto, who has been a staunch supporter of the Act, and members of his family allegedly bought 18 plots of land in Dhanbad district without the mandatory permission of the DC in the past six years.
Mathura Mahto, however, said the allegations were “baseless” and promised to “return the land if the allegations are proved correct”.