Ahmedabad, Jul 19 (PTI) An IPS officer’s casual query to her cook about her ‘sasural’ (in-law’s place) triggered the return of 300 tribals to their village in Gujarat, 11 years after another group forced them to leave the place over a murder.
The Kodarvi tribe members, belonging to 29 families, went back to their native Mota Pipodara in tribal-dominated Danta taluka of Banaskantha district on Thursday. They were welcomed by Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi and top police officers, said an official release.
The homecoming of the displaced tribals, who had been living in different places, began taking shape after Suman Nala, assistant superintendent of police of Danta division, learnt about their plight from her cook Alka.
When Nala asked Alka about her ‘sasural’, the tribal woman told the IPS (Indian Police Service) officer that she had never visited the village because her tribe members had to flee Mota Pipodara in 2014 following a murder and subsequent attack on them, called by tribals as ‘Chadotaru’.
Alka told the police officer that one of their tribe members was accused of murdering a person from another tribal group. Mota Pipodara is about 50 km from Palanpur, the district headquarters of Banaskantha.
According to Nala, ‘Chadotaru’ is an informal justice system prevalent among tribals.
“Under this system, village elders or panch try to resolve a conflict between two parties. If they fail to reach an amicable solution, the matter takes a violent form – Chadotaru – resulting in one group attacking the other and even destroying their property,” said Nala.
These 300 tribals later took refuge in other parts of Banaskantha, while some even went to Surat to work as labourers.
After being apprised of these tribal families in exile, Inspector General of Border Range Chirag Koradia and district SP Akshayraj Makwana initiated efforts to rehabilitate them again at their native place, said the release.
Police officials interacted with members and elders of both tribes and persuaded them to bury the past. The initiative succeeded and ensured the return of these 300 tribals to their village after 11 years, it said.
In his address at the event on Thursday, Sanghavi said the state government has taken concrete steps for their rehabilitation.
Since these families used to own 8.5 hectares (about 21 acres) of land in the village, police officials got the land identified with the help of the revenue staff and handed it over to them after making it suitable for cultivation, said Sanghavi.
While two houses with free electricity, water supply, and cooking gas connections have been constructed in the village with the help of NGOs, similar dwelling units for the remaining families will also be made soon, he added. PTI PJT PD NR
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