The Hemant Soren-led government’s decision to set up a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Mohanpur Village, situated at the foothills of Parasnath Mountain, in Giridih district of Jharkhand, has galvanised the angry villagers into opposing the move.
“The police often enter our homes and beat us up in the name of search operations. They frequently abuse and accuse us of being extremists and Maoists. That’s why we are opposing the decision,” says villager Arjun Marandi “
After a meeting with the representatives (Manjhis) of around 45 tribal villages, the villagers decided to protest on roads and even block the governor’s residence if the decision is not rolled back.
A few years ago, the state government decided to set up a CRPF camp on the foothills of the mountain. When the villagers opposed the move, a first information report was lodged against 1,500 unknown persons, including 24 persons from the nearby villages.
Decision was taken during BJP govt.: JMM
The process of setting up CRPF camps in the area started during the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of Raghubar Das in 2016. During his tenure, around 12 police camps were set up in this area. According to the website of Jharkhand Police, the crime rate in this area is very low compared to other cities of Jharkhand.
Before the 2019 Assembly elections, then-Opposition leader Hemant Soren visited Giridih and made several promises, including not allowing the setting up of police camps.
