Hazaribag: Every night at 8, villages under Badam and Gondalpura panchayats in Hazaribag district erupt into a 15-minute chorus of conch shells, beating plates and tin containers, with hundreds of mobile phone flashlights raised to the sky. The protest is a symbolic show of resistance against land acquisition and displacement linked to proposed industrial projects in Barkagaon block, villagers said.Women leave kitchens carrying steel plates, elderly residents play traditional instruments, and children join in with tin containers. Villagers said the coordinated action is meant to make their voices heard, under the slogan of protecting “jal, jungle and zameen” (water, forests and land).“We want our voices to reach those who make decisions about our future. This is our way of expressing our pain and our determination to protect our ancestral land,” said a resident.Organisers said the flashlights and torches pointed skyward symbolise hope and a pledge to protect future generations. The agitation has drawn participation from Gondalpura, Badam, Harli, Kutalwa, Gali-Balodar and several nearby villages, with a total population of about 50,000.Vikas Kumar, who is leading the agitation, alleged that several companies have initiated efforts to acquire land in the region. He claimed gram sabhas rejected the proposals and that villagers resolved at a meeting on Tuesday to begin the nightly campaign.“The protest began on Thursday and will continue until our demands are met. We do not want the highly fertile, triple-crop agricultural land to be handed over to coal companies,” Kumar said.Several villagers have opposed the projects, saying development cannot be undertaken on forced displacement. “We are not against development, but we want our rights, livelihoods and identity to be protected,” another resident said.Ravi Kumar, Arun Kumar and Baleshwar Mahto said the area has three waterfalls, several tourist spots and forests that shelter wild animals. They said the protest was launched “so that future generations don’t blame us for remaining silent”.Additional collector Mahendra Chhotan Oraon told TOI that he will look into the issue and try to find out what the villagers want.
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