RANCHI: Villagers from different tribal districts of the state assembled at the Raj Bhavan on Friday and demanded land acquired for the land bank be returned to them.The massive protest march was spearheaded by Dayamani Barla, who earned the distinction of being the iron lady of the region for her campaign against ArcelorMittal , a multinational steel giant, in 2007-08. Under Barla, villagers rose in rebellion in Khunti against the forceful acquisition of land. The steel major had to give in.The march on Friday, that originated from the Morhabadi ground, culminated in a mass meeting outside the Raj Bhavan. Addressing the gathering, Barla said in Schedule IV areas, the government is not the owner of the land or the forest, it is a 'mere custodian'. "The government cannot sell the land, as the community members-who have been residing in that particular area for years-are the title holders," she said, adding that the Constitution guarantees right of ownership to the villagers for the entire village and forest on its periphery under Schedule IV.Tribal leaders stressed that most tribals are uneducated and have little knowledge of computers. They ridiculed the idea of online transfer of land to the land bank. "The system is as good as keeping the tribals in the dark and acquiring their land without their consent," Barla said.She accused the government of grabbing land for the benefit of big corporate houses. "The land bank is nothing but a tool in the hands of the administration to deprive people of their constitutional rights," said the activist.Lending her voice to the protest, activist Aloka Kujur said the Chhotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act is applicable to 10 states in the country. "Land acquisition in the case of HEC is a live example of the government acquiring land from tribals, never compensating them and once the industry started making losses, it was prepared to sell it off," she said.Aloka argued that the government is establishing military camps all over the state in the name of fighting left wing extremists. "Instead of fighting extremism, the might of the para military force is used against the villagers to grab their land," she said.The activists handed over a charter of demands to governor Droupadi Murmu reminding her of the fact that in tribal dominated area, she is the custodian of their rights. "The government should be directed to implement the CNT and SPT Act in letter and spirit. Land should not be acquired or transferred to the land bank without the permission of the gram sabha," Barla said.

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