After a poor poll performance in the tribal-dominated areas in the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021 – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to regain its lost tribal ground by raising the concern of the ‘Santhals’ who fear ‘forcible eviction’ from their land for the exploration of Deocha-Pachami-Harinsingha-Dewanganj coal block in Birbhum district.
Deocha-Pachami-Harinsingha-Dewanganj coal block is a much-awaited coal and gas exploration in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, which could be a game-changer as far State’s economy is concerned. On September 9, while addressing the state Assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured that there won’t be any forcible acquisition of land and announced an attractive compensation package comprising price for the land, housing and employment for a member of the donor family.
On the other hand BJP – who was desperately looking for a major issue to bounce back in Bengal’s politics after the post-poll debacle – is trying to highlight that the state government has announced the compensation packages without even taking the tribal people into consideration.
Today, a team of BJP leaders including Raju Banerjee, State Vice President, Khudiram Tudu, National Secretary, ST Morcha, and Dhruba Saha, Birbhum District President visited Deucha Pachami and interacted with the villagers and assured that the BJP is with them at this time of crisis.
Speaking to News18.com, Khudiram Tudu, National Secretary, ST Morcha, said, “Today, we have interacted with the villagers and they told us that Mamata Banerjee should have announced the compensation packages after having a consultation with them. They are angry that the rehabilitation packages announced by her were not done keeping them in the loop.”
He said, “We fear that the government will go for forcible land acquisition because in the past we have noticed how the State government ignored the promise they made. After our interaction with the villagers, we have decided to stand with them in this fight against the step-motherly attitude of the state government towards the Santhals”.
Tudu also alleged that TMC workers showed black flags and tried to obstruct their ways while they were going to interact with the villagers at Deocha-Pachami.
It was learnt that the first phase of exploration will begin at Harinsingha and in Dewanganj block and nearly 5000 people will be affected residing in nearly 3500 acres of land. As per government assessment, nearly 200000 people will be benefited from employment.
The initial phase of the project will start on government land but later there will be a requirement for private land for the project expansion and therefore to woo the land occupants (mostly tribal) the compensation package for the donors include financial assistance of Rs 10 lakhs (approx), housing and employment.
This coal mine is the largest coal mine in Asia, due to its abundant coal reserves.
Sunil Soren, a schoolteacher and secretary of Birbhum Adibasi Gaota – an influential tribal organisation in the district – however, claimed that nearly 18,000 residents of 34 villages will be evicted due to the project (as a whole). And, out of 34 villages, tribal people dominate in nearly 30 villages.
When contacted Soren, he said, “There is a discontent among the tribal people because they fear that they will be forcibly removed from their place without any adequate compensation. We have seen how people were forcibly removed from Pandaveswar and Bakreshwar and they were not even compensated properly.”
While elaborating more about the discontent, he said, “The bone of contention is ignorant attitude towards the local villagers. The real stakeholders were never invited to discuss the matter. The tribal people are questioning how come the state government can decide the compensation/rehabilitation packages without consulting the same with the villagers. Few months back, the chief secretary held a meeting with the district administration over the Deocha-Pachami-Harinsingha-Dewanganj coal block and then the tribal/villagers expressed their wish to meet the chief secretary but they were not allowed. They also protested against excavation of coal from Deocha-Pachami-Harinsingha-Dewanganj but their plea went in deaf ears. I have also sent a letter to the state government but so far I haven’t received any response from them. I can sense a massive tension in the coming months over this project.”
Birbhum Adibasi Gaota is a powerful tribal body and their dominance was proved in 2019 when they didn’t allow an open cast coal mining project at Gangaramchak village in the same Birbhum district.
In 2021 Assembly Polls – unlike other seats – BJP’s ‘Hindutva’ push did not work well among the tribal community mainly dominated by the ‘Santhal’ and ‘Kurmis’ in Bengal’s ‘Jangalmahal’ which comprise 40 Assembly seats in Jhargram, West Midnapore, Purulia and in Bankura.
In Birbhum too, the saffron brigade could not perform well and significantly Rampurhat and Sainthia assembly seats which fall under Deocha-Pachami were won by the ruling TMC.
After May 2, 2021, poll results – BJP’s internal assessment revealed that the majority of Santhal vote share (which was BJP’s biggest vote bank in 2019 Lok Sabha) went to TMC this time.
Tribal shifting their allegiance from BJP to TMC was first felt in February when BJP national president JP Nadda had to cancel his public meeting in Jhargram mainly due to low turnout of people.
Similarly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also cancelled his public meeting in Jhargram after fewer people turned out at the venue in March.
Santhal tribal community is the dominant factor which consists of 51.8 percent of the total ST population in the state.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha, all the seats that fall under ‘Jangalmahal’ including Purulia, Midnapore, Bishnupur in Bankura and Jhargram went to the BJP.
But party has suffered a set-back in the 2021 Assembly poll and therefore the BJP strategically trying to regain its lost tribal ground by making Deocha-Pachami as the epicentre of its movement against ‘land acquisition’ – the same issues which helped Mamata Banerjee to demolished the hegemonic rule of the Left through Singur and Nandigram anti-land acquisition movements.
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