A group of Dimna Lake oustees, under the banner of Jharkhand Mukti Vahini, staged a blockade in front of the deputy commissioner’s office on Old Court Road in Jamshedpur on Monday afternoon.

The protesters were voicing their anger over non-payment of compensation.

A section of Vahini activists also embarked on an indefinite hunger strike close to the blockade venue, forcing traffic to a standstill on all major thoroughfares of the city.

Beside compensation, the protestors asked the administration to strictly implement the CNT Act, so that justice was ensured for the original inhabitants of the state.

While staging the blockade, a delegation of protestors led by vahini convener Madan Mohan met the deputy commissioner and handed over a memorandum to her with their demands.

Mohan, who is leading the agitation, said this was just the beginning of their agitation and their outfit would not sit idle unless they brought justice for the scores of villagers and displaced persons.

“According to the CNT Act, no one can sell or purchase land from anyone belonging to Scheduled Caste or backward community. Moreover, if anyone has obtained land in a wrongful manner, the land thus procured by the purchasers will be returned to the original owner,” said Mohan.

He said for doing justice to hapless villagers, the state government will have to set up fast-track courts for speedy disposal of cases pertaining to their ancestors’ land from which they had to part with for want of adequate information and awareness.

About 300 villagers had gathered in front of the DC’s office from 12.30pm and they started the blockade at 2pm. As big vehicles remained stranded on either side of the blockade venue, smaller vehicles like cars, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers made use of bypass roads. The blockade continued till late evening.

Speaking about the compensation package to Dimna Lake oustees, Mohan said over 2,000 villagers were affected due to digging the lake over an area measuring 1,684 acres decades ago, but not all displaced persons had been adequately compensated.

“We started an agitation in support of Dimna Lake oustees two years ago demanding settlement of the compensation issue, but nothing positive has come about. The only favour the administration has done is give a verbal permission for fishing in the lake,” said Mohan. He added that had the administration given written permission, then they would have taken an initiative for fishing though co-operatives.

Several other organisations, including Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Mahasabha, Gram Sabhas, Birsa Seva Samity and Bistapit Berodhi Ekta Manch extended their support to the vahini.