Ranchi, Sept. 16: This remote hamlet in Latehar has lately turned into a ghost land, forcing the last few surviving families to look for life and livelihood elsewhere, far from their native place.
For the past seven weeks or so, all mud houses at Kheerakhand Tola in Herhanj block are under lock and key.
Local people - gullible, backward and mostly illiterate - blame unholy spirits. But district officials admit it is socio-economical evils that have scared away the natives, mainly Parahiyas, one of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups.
Cut off from the rest of the world by a couple of swelling rivulets and steep forested hillocks, life has always been difficult in this secluded place, some 60km from Latehar district headquarters and 150km from capital Ranchi.
It does not have any approach road, hand pump, power supply, health centre, primary school or other amenities considered basic for human survival. But, these families had stayed put in their ancestral homes all these years.
However, the recent deaths, which, villagers claimed, happened due to some unknown diseases, prompted the reaming 7-8 families to take shelter in nearby block headquarters namely Herhanj, Panki, Lawalong etc.
"One has to cross the rivulets and climb the hillocks on foot to reach the place. Communication becomes extremely difficult during the rains, when the rivulets are in spate and muddy paths along the hillocks are slippery," a local scribe, Utkarsh, said.
He added about three months ago, three persons died in the village due to some unknown diseases. "The villagers suspected that some supernatural force was targeting them," he added.
Latehar SDO Kamleshwar Narayan admitted that the houses were locked when he went to the hamlet three-four weeks ago. He was accompanied by the local BDO, doctors, health workers and other officials, but there was no one to avail the service. "We have been able to contact all of them. They have shifted to various places due to different reasons. They were living in tough conditions at Kheerakhand," Narayan told The Telegraph over telephone.
But, why did the district officials come so late?
SDO Narayan said a health camp was organised in the area on July 27, and the natives of Kheerakhand did visit the camp. The villagers were also getting PDS grains free of cost, apart from benefits of other social security schemes.
"The villagers lost interest in living at that hamlet after their traditional head shifted to Herhanj. We are in regular touch with them," the SDO added.
