The Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha (ASM) organized a march demanding the cancellation of lease of the Netarhat Field Firing Range in Ramgarh city of Jharkhand on 11 May. The march was led by ASM National Convener Devkinandan Bedia and other leaders.
11 May was the last day of the Netarhat Field Firing Range land acquisition notification.
Devkinandan Bedia demanded immediate cancellation of the Netarhat Field Firing Range for which in undivided Bihar in 1954 seven revenue villages in Netarhat Pathar were leased out for firing practice under the Section 8 of the Maneuvers Field Firing Artillery Practice Act 1938. The period was extended in 1991 from 1992 to 2002. Not only was the period extended, but the range was also now extended to cover 245 villages.
The army which came for firing practice on 22 March 1994 was forced to turn back in the face of protests led by women. The extension declared by the then Bihar government in 1991-92 holds till May 2022. The State government has not issued any notification scrapping the Netarhat Field Firing Range. This area comes under the 5th Schedule of the Constitution of India and the PESA Act 1996 is also in force here which gives Gram Sabhas the right to take decisions regarding community resources in their area including water, land, forests, rivers etc. The Gram Sabhas of the affected areas have met and decided not to give their land for firing practice.
The Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha supports the adivasi villagers’ decision and demands that the government should scrap the Netarhat Field Firing range without delay.
In response to the call given by the Central People's Struggles Committee, statewide protests were organized across Jharkhand including Gumla, Latehar, Ranchi and Ramgarh on 11 May to demand scrapping of the Netarhat Field Firing range.
At Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi, Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha, CPIML, Jharkhand Jan Adhikar Mahasabha, Adivasi Adhikar Manch and other people's organizations organized a protest and raised the slogan 'Jaan denge Jameen Nahi' (We will give our lives but not our land). Protests were also held at other places in Ranchi including Gandhi Statue, Morhabadi, Birsa Samadhi, Kokar, Ambedkar Chowk, Doranda and Rajendra Chowk. The protests were addressed by social activist Dayamani Barla, AICCTU State General Secretary Shubhendu Sen, CPIML leader Bhuvaneshwar Kewat, film-maker Shriprakash, Jagannath Oraon, Elena Hero, Praful Linda, Sudama Khalkho, Prabhakar Nag, Kuldeep Tirkey, Joy Bakhla, Prabhakar Turkey, Fr Peter Tigga, Ibrar Ahmed, Ratan Tirkey, Nadeem Khan, Babbar and others.
The leaders and activists speaking at the protests said that adivasis have borne the brunt of maximum evictions in the name of development, this continuous loot and oppression must end now.
