Reign of terror: With a unique space on the Jharkhand map, Palamau continues to be misunderstood and exploited. Illustration by Uday Deb

Natural beauty on one side and a rugged, even barren terrain on the other is just part of Palamau’s paradox. Old-timers recall with relish old tales of ruthless landlords and colourful zamindars; of people who fed the defiant to their pet tiger and of those who claimed the right to bed any woman they fancied; of exploitation and ‘liberated zones’ , of material which have inspired the works of people like Satyajit Ray, Mahasveta Devi and Tapan Sinha.

Old Palamau had six princely states of Chainpur, Ladigarh, Ranka, Nagaruntari, Vishrampur and Navajaipur with Manatu a relatively late-entrant to the list.

Not able to withstand the onslaughts of extremists in the 1990s, the scions of the feudal estates have now moved to Daltonganj, with their forts back in the villages bearing mute testimony of their past.Some of them like Girinath Singh of Ranka and Anant Pratap Deo of Nagarutanri have joined politics.

Jagdishwar Jeet Singh, christened by the media as the “Man eater of Manatu” or “Manatu ka Mwar” is leading a sedate life of virtual seclusion in Daltonganj. Visitors are not welcome and talk about his past is a strict no, no. The man in his eighties is said to have now taken to spiritualism and astrology.

There is however one exception. The scions of Ladigarh have stayed back in their old farmhouse. Ambikeswar Dayal Singh, the eldest among three brothers, says the family chose to stay back even when “Naxalism” was at its peak in 1992. The extremist outfit in fact, he claims, had made a survey of atrocities perpetrated by the zamindars. But they did not find any adverse report against his forefathers, who settled here some 300 years ago.

Once the Naxalites held a jan adalat in a nearby village and asked for charges to be drawn up against the Ladigarh zamindars for a public trial. A Muslim octogenerian protested , pointing out that the “Raja” had just 45 acres of land in the village while he owned some 60 acres, all gifted by the raja, recalls Ambikeshwar Dayal. Some 40,000 acres of land came under their zamindari, which were redistributed after the Bihar Government introduced the land-ceiling act, he says. His second brother Kunwar Vijay Singh did enter politics but met an untimely death. The youngest Ajay Singh is a doctor in the government. And they all stay in the village. “We still consider the villagers as part of our extended family and hold panchayat to resolve conflicts. No wonder, there has not been a single case of murder here in the last 50 years, the 61 year old ex-Zamindar recalls.

Contrary to popular notions, business in Palamau appears to be booming. Even in areas believed to be strongholds of extremists, the market seems vibrant. Manufacturing units appear scarce though. But mining activities, trading and transport seem to be going through a boom.

“Palamau borders the three states of Chhattigarh, UP and Bihar. Besides, it has direct rail links with New Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta. So, its geography gives it a unique place in Jharkhand,” says Chamber of Commerce president Anand Shankar.

A difference in the sales tax structure on any item leads to scarcity or dumping in the local market. Sales tax on cement is lower in Chhattisgarh than in Jharkhand and Bihar. So cement is brought in from the adjoining state and sold here.

Besides, the trade in coal, mahua, bidi patta and lac, all produced in villages, is promising, if not downright lucrative.

The boom has given rise to hotels, as many as 15 of which have come up in Daltonganj and boast high occupancy most of the time. At least four state of art restaurants have come up in the city and can match the best of the restaurants in Ranchi. In fact, the mall culture too has hit the town with Daltonganj boasting an airconditioned shopping centre as well.

Former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari has a larger than life presence in Daltonganj. People recall affectionately how the engineer-turned-politician has obliged scores of contractors by not allowing them to corner the entire project.

If a road is to be built and the length is 10 Kms, Namdhari, people claimed, would ensure that five contractors laid two kilometres each. He would of course lay the foundation at the beginning and throw open the road to the public at every stage.

Only Amita Paul, a former deputy commissioner, had the gumption to order bulldozers to raze a hotel owned by the Namdhari family. Old-timers claim Lalu Prasad often ribbed Namdhari by threatening to send Paul back to Daltonganj.Power supply is erratic though and water crisis is chronic. There is a dearth of good institutions and people send off their children to study in Ranchi. The DAV group has now pledged to start an engineering college here. The “reign of terror” in Palamau, say residents, is a myth perpetrated by government employees and contractors so that they are never held to account for their acts of omissions and commissions. That would explain the quality of public works and corruption.

Laments D.S. Srivastava of Nature Conservation Society, “Palamau is still one of the most beautiful places but thanks to the propaganda of it being a hot-bed of extremism, it is beyond the reach of tourists.”