Udaipur, November 11, 2024: The attempt by Scheduled Tribe Commission Chairman Bhanupratap Singh to create a sensation over an unfounded report without the secretary’s verification was thwarted when Dilbandhu Majhwar from Ghatbarra was found to be alive, not dead. Bhanupratap Singh, a Congress worker, had claimed that a deceased Dilbandhu’s signature appeared on the Parsa coal mine village council (gram sabha) proposal. However, investigation by state authorities and responsible media confirmed that Dilbandhu is alive. On Monday, Dilbandhu, the so-called deceased, was taken to the Udaipur Tehsil Office to confirm his identity, where it was confirmed that the signature on the village council proposal is indeed his, and he is alive.
Notably, certain elements from Raipur have been running a campaign to defame Chhattisgarh’s mining sector by falsely claiming the village council meeting held in Surguja’s Parsa coal block was fake and publishing inaccurate news on social media. The reality, however, is that this same commission recently dismissed accusations of a fake village council meeting after a thorough investigation. So far, opponents of the Parsa mine’s development have been unable to substantiate their claims in any court
. Regardless, Commission Chairman Bhanupratap Singh issued a one-sided report based solely on applications from 40 people, without the secretary’s endorsement. It’s worth noting that around ten thousand locals live near Parsa mine. A certain Raipur-based activist attempted to hide the absence of the secretary’s signature on the four-page report by only posting the first three pages on social media, making false claims that have now been debunked.
Dilbandhu Majhwar, a 28-year-old resident of Agripara in Ghatbarra and son of Aganuram Majhwar, told the media, “I am a resident of Agripara, Ghatbarra village. My Aadhaar number is 9605 27**. I found out through you that some people are spreading news of my death, which I deny. I have also contacted my village panchayat secretary, Mr. Gopal Ram Yadav, for assistance, and he has provided me with a notarized document with the signatures of witnesses confirming I am alive. I submitted a copy of this document to the District Magistrate and SDM today. I signed the attendance register myself at the village council held by Janpad Panchayat on September 10 for the Parsa coal block. Due to a deliberate conspiracy, a false claim of my death was spread, which has questioned my existence, causing me great distress.” Dilbandhu expressed his gratitude to the media for bringing the truth to light.
In this matter, Village Panchayat Secretary Mr. Gopal Ram Yadav stated that on the day of the village council meeting, all attending villagers, including Dilbandhu, signed in his presence. He confirmed that the rumors of Dilbandhu’s death spread by some media outlets are completely false and that he has prepared a notarized document confirming Dilbandhu is alive, which will be submitted to the court through the District Magistrate.
Meanwhile, with all legal approvals in place, the Rajasthan government’s power corporation is preparing to operationalize its Parsa mine, which will create 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in this tribal district. Now that the expensive campaign run by private media interests and government elements has been exposed, it remains to be seen how Dilbandhu’s fight for his identity unfolds and what action will be taken against those spreading false news.
