Ex-Jharkhand CM Champai Soren leads call for tribal unity over land acquisition dispute

Jamshedpur, Aug 30 (PTI) Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Saturday said leaders and heads of tribal communities will organise an 'Adivasi Mahadarbar' in Ranchi district's Nagri in October to chalk out the future course of action against land acquisition for a multi-crore state-run health institute.

Soren was placed under house arrest on Sunday last to prevent law and order issues due to the 'Hal Joto, Ropa Ropo' (plough field, plant sapling) protest organised by tribal outfits over the same issue.

Over 20 tribal groups, farmers and land owners took part in the agitation at the site where the Rs 1,074-crore RIMS-2 hospital project has been proposed by Jharkhand government.

"Once again, I would like to remind the government that our protest is not against the proposed RIMS-2 hospital. Not one, you (the state government) build ten hospitals but certainly not on farmers agricultural land as human need grains more than medicine," Soren, the BJP MLA from Seraikela assembly constituency, said in a statement.

"I would like to make it clear that whenever any attempt to acquire the land of adivasis/moolvasis or displace them is made, I would protest and stand with the community," he warned.

Referring the FIR lodged against him and others following Sunday's Nagri protest, Soren said, "The anti-adivasi government should know that ploughing and planting saplings on their own land is not a crime. Hence, the government should withdraw the case." Commenting on allegations made by ministers and legislators about bringing in outsiders during the Nagri protest, Soren questioned, "I would ask them to go through the First Information Report, where the names of only adivasis and moolvasis are mentioned as accused." "One can understand the mentality of the state government which brands members of the tribal community as outsiders and treats Bangladeshi infiltrators as their own," Soren alleged. PTI BS MNB