IPS officer's query to cook on 'sasural' brings 300 tribals back home
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Ahmedabad: A simple conversation between an IPS officer and her cook has led to a remarkable homecoming: 300 displaced tribals have returned to their native village in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district after more than a decade in exile.
The members of the Kodarvi tribe, belonging to 29 families, were welcomed back to Mota Pipodara in Danta taluka on Thursday by Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi, alongside senior police officials. Their return marks the end of an 11-year-long displacement caused by inter-tribal violence.
The turning point came when Suman Nala, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Danta division, casually asked her cook, Alka, about her 'sasural' (in-laws' village). Alka, a tribal woman, revealed that she had never visited her husband’s village because her community had fled Mota Pipodara in 2014 following a murder incident that triggered retaliatory violence known locally as 'Chadotaru'.
According to Nala, 'Chadotaru' is an informal justice system followed in tribal communities, where village elders attempt to mediate disputes. If no resolution is reached, the conflict may escalate into violent retribution, involving property destruction and attacks.
The violence erupted after a member of Alka’s tribe was accused of murdering someone from another tribal group. The incident forced the Kodarvi families to flee their homes. Some resettled in other parts of Banaskantha, while others moved to Surat in search of work as labourers.
Once Nala brought the issue to light, Inspector General of Border Range Chirag Koradia and Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana began working on a rehabilitation plan. Police officials held discussions with leaders of both tribal groups to reconcile past differences and pave the way for the displaced families' return.
The efforts paid off. On Thursday, 300 tribals returned to their ancestral village, where the state government facilitated their resettlement. In his address at the welcome event, Minister Sanghvi said concrete steps had been taken to ensure their rehabilitation.
The returning families had previously owned 8.5 hectares (approximately 21 acres) of agricultural land in Mota Pipodara. With the help of revenue officials, the land was located and restored for cultivation. Two new homes—complete with free electricity, water supply, and LPG connections—have already been built with support from non-governmental organisations. Sanghvi assured that similar housing units for the remaining families will soon be constructed.
With PTI inputs
