Pathalgadi Movement

The Pathalgadi Movement was a tribal movement in Jharkhand in 2017-18. The term ‘pathalgadi’ refers to the stone plaques that are erected by the tribes on the tombs to honour their ancestors and also to announce important decisions and mark village boundaries. Civil servants erected pathalgadis with the inscription of the PESA Act (Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act) and the 5th Schedule of the Constitution to raise awareness among the tribes. Later on when the government tried tweaking land legislations, the tribes rose in massive protests.