Giridih – A dramatic confrontation unfolded at Khandoli Dam on Monday after hundreds of villagers, angry over alleged illegal land acquisition, waded into the waters threatening to drown themselves in a mass “Jal Samadhi.”
The protest was spearheaded by the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) under its ongoing “Khandoli Bachao Abhiyan.” Villagers say their farmland and homes are being wrongly marked as dam land during the current demarcation process, even though the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) had first acquired land in 1992 without proper boundary marking.
Police personnel rushed to the scene, dragging out villagers who had entered the water. The standoff led to chaotic clashes and heavy tension in the area, prompting the administration to boost security around the dam.
Protesters alleged that the administration has failed to show any documents or address their grievances. They had earlier submitted a memorandum with eight demands, including fresh demarcation, restoration of wrongly included raiyat land, compensation, and rehabilitation of displaced families.
With no action taken, JLKM leaders have now warned of an even larger mass Jal Samadhi agitation if their demands are ignored beyond 15 days.
With inputs from IANS