The ongoing protests by tribal outfits against land acquisition by the state government in Nagri block of Ranchi district in Jharkhand has generated heat in political circles.

The tribal outfits were led by Opposition BJP leaders Champai Soren and Babulal Marandi against the state government’s mega health care plan.

On Sunday Champai Soren was put on house arrest. The police action was part of a plan to prevent him to lead the protesters by “sowing paddy saplings” with them in the disputed land.

Behind the house arrest of Champai Soren, who had quit the JMM and joined the BJP prior to the Assembly elections late last year 2024, lies nearly 120 acres of land in Nagri. 

It is on this controversial land where the state government led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren plans to implement a mega health project- Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences( RIMS)- 2.

Right now, the RIMS 1 comprising four storied buildings of hospitals, labs, medical college, hostels, conference halls in Bariyatu,25 km from the disputed Nagri land, were built in 1969.

Since these 56 years old buildings, each lacking in quality maintenance, were in a dilapidated state,CM,Hemant Soren dreamt to undertake green field health project- RIMS 2.

The state government located nearly 400 acres of land that were acquired by the state government to build Birsa Agriculture University( BAU) in 1960s.

However, though the BAU was built and continued to function since 1981, the above acquired 120 acres of land in Nagri had remained unused and thereby under the possession of their owners.

After taking oath of office for the fourth  time as CM on November 28, 2024, Soren visited the above land and ordered to fence it from all sides. This was before the summer had set in.

Two activities began simultaneously. First,the state government formulated a plan to fence the land with barbed wire. Two,the land owners continued to till the land for the paddy cultivation.

Subsequently,after the state government officials ordered a contractor to fence the land, trucks loaded with packs of barbed wire began to roll. This triggered protest by tribals led by BJP state unit President Babulal Marandi. As time passed two things unfolded.

The fencing work was stopped. Subsequently the state government has approved an outlay of Rs 49,13,500 to be paid to the contractor. 

Alongside, almost  all owners of the controversial area of land sowed paddy saplings on their respective plots. These saplings have grown and coloured the entire area carry paddy plants green today.

As the cops put him on house arrest, Champai Soren's son Babulal Soren, along with supporters who were on way to Ranchi, were also detained at a police station near Ranchi.

“A large number of police personnel have also been deployed and barricades put up at strategic points in the wake of the protests on Sunday,” he said.

Reports said, tribal land owners in absence of their leader Champai Soren protested against deployment of security personnel. However, to maintain law and order, after clamping 144 in Nagri, the police has fired tear gas. 

Champai Soren, however, termed the police move as undemocratic, and said his house arrest was ordered to prevent him to support the tribals and their protest.

“When DSP sahab came  and said that I don't have to move today, meaning I don't have to leave the house, I understood that he would not let me go anywhere,” Soren said.

"So I said that it's okay; if the administration and the government have made a decision, then we will not violate it," he added.

Champai Soren alleged earlier that the JMM-led government in the state was "grabbing" tribal land.

Addressing a press conference earlier this week, the BJP leader had alleged that land was acquired with force in Ranchi's Nagri area for the proposed ₹1,000-crore RIMS-2 hospital project.

"I have decided to join the August 24 'Hal Joto, Ropa Ropo' (plough field, plant saplings) protest by farmers, whose land was forcefully acquired by the government. The farmers were stopped from tilling their land by fencing it," he alleged.
 

According to PTI, Champai Soren claimed that landowners were neither given any acquisition notice nor compensation.

"The government is also not ready to show the deed of the land. I am not against the hospital project. There are several acres of barren or unused land in Ranchi where the hospital could be built," he was quoted as saying.

Soren claimed that the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and Gram Sabha rules have not been followed in this case. Soren alleged that tribals were "under attack" in the state.

"Their land are being taken away, and tribals who are fighting for their rights are being killed. Surya Hansda, who contested several assembly polls and was providing free education to children, was arrested and killed in an encounter because he was a tribal," he alleged.