Thousands of villagers from Kolhan marched to the district collectorate in Jamshedpur on Tuesday, protesting efforts to declare the Dalma region an Eco-Sensitive Zone. The protest, led by Dalma Kshetra Gram Sabha Suraksha Manch, opposed alleged plans to evict Adivasis and traditional forest dwellers from ancestral land.
Residents from Patamda, Chandil, Bodam, Dimna, Pardih, Galudih, Ghatshila and Musabani gathered at Ambagan Ground before marching to the DC office with slogans and banners. Women participated in large numbers, holding placards demanding land rights and opposing eviction.
The protesters accused the Forest Department of denying land titles under the Forest Rights Act, despite generations of habitation. They said applications for individual land titles are either ignored or redirected without resolution.
Speakers questioned the requirement of land documents for ancestral homes and demanded that no action be taken without the consent of gram sabhas. They called for recognition of rights, halt to evictions, and a judicial probe into the matter.
Organisations supporting the protest included Jharkhand Gram Sabha Suraksha Manch, Adivasi Bhumi Munda Yuva Sangathan, Adivasi Samprabhuta Samiti, Swaraj Socio Economic and Research Centre, Jharkhand Janatantrik Mahasabha, Adivasi Jan Manch and Birsa Sena.