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The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
The return of the native
Alka Kodarvi smiles shyly when asked about her wedding plans. Sitting on a rusted iron cot in a newly built house at Mota Pipodara, a quiet village tucked away in Gujarat's Banaskantha district near the Rajasthan border, she hides her face behind her palms. 'Maybe in a month or two,' she says blushing, glancing towards her partner, Bhojabhai. 'If he agrees.' For the 27-year-old mother of a 2-year-old boy and her partner, both from a tribal community, marriage is not the beginning of their story — it's just another chapter in a life shaped by survival and exile. Since 2019, the couple has lived together, raising a son without registering their bond as a marriage. 'For us, marriage is just a ritual,' Alka says matter-of-factly. 'We liked each other and decided to live together.' Both are from the Kodarvi tribe, which had been exiled in 2014 after another tribe, following a tradition called chadotaru, had forced them out from their traditional lands. After over a decade of wandering and uncertainty, the Kodarvis returned to their native village earlier this month, following a hard-earned truce between communities and crucial support from the district police. Among the Kodarvis — and in many tribal groups — ancestral villages are more than just a place to live. They are central to rites of passage like marriage and death. Couples marry only in their native village where houses lie scattered across agricultural fields. People are buried there too. So, when Bhojabhai lost his home in the village, he also lost the ground on which a wedding could take place. Now, he has regained it. Chadotaru and its implications In much of urban India, living together without marriage remains a taboo, and finding rental housing or even a hotel room while travelling as an unmarried couple is almost impossible. But for Alka, Bhojabhai, and many belonging to the Kodarvi and other tribal communities rooted in the remote stretches of the Aravali mountain range, life has always followed different rules — some liberating, others oppressive. Back in 2014, nearly 300 people from 29 Kodarvi families fled their homes in Mota Pipodara in the dead of night. Taking only what they could carry, they left their houses, livestock, and fields behind after the Dabhi tribe from the same village had declared chadotaru against them. In Gujarat, chadotaru is a tribal tradition of informal justice that carries the weight of vengeance, often targeting entire families or communities when one of their members is accused of a grave offence, such as murder, sexual assault or an extramarital affair. The declaration followed the killing of a Dabhi man, allegedly by someone from the Kodarvi community. 'The victim, Naranbhai, was stoned to death, and the villagers said it was Rajubhai Kodarvi who did it following a drunken brawl in the middle of the night on April 6, 2014. He was arrested and chadotaru took place for days,' the police say. In Gujarat's tribal belts and in Rajasthan, chadotaru still influences the way disputes are resolved. Traditionally, it involved community elders or panches (elected members) coming together to mediate and reconcile differences through mutual agreement. But over time, this custom has morphed into a harsh practice: imposing hefty monetary penalties, forcing exiles, and threatening violence. Once a chadotaru is declared, the clan prepares for confrontation — women and children lead the procession while the others follow, armed with swords, sticks, and whatever weapons they can gather. The beating of dhol-nagara (traditional drums) signals their advance as they move toward the rival clan's homes to strike. 'When chadotaru is declared, the entire community of the accused is often forced to pay the amount awarded by the panch, or flee,' Assistant Superintendent of Police (Danta division) Suman Nala explains. 'Their homes are vandalised, crops torched, and cattle either looted or left to stray.' In cases of murder, blood money is demanded. If unpaid, violence may follow. A casual conversation Alka is Nala's cook. In a casual conversation, Nala remembers asking how often Alka visited her sasural (in-laws' home). What followed left Nala stunned. 'I've never seen my sasural,' Alka had told her. She went on to explain that her partner's clan had been ostracised after chadotaru was declared against them. It not only forced the community into exile, but also shattered their social and economic fabric. Since then, the families had been scattered. Many ended up as daily wage labourers in Danta, Palanpur, Surat, and other places in Gujarat, earning barely ₹200–₹300 a day. Meeting each other became rare; survival became routine. Bhojabhai was married to Niluben over two decades ago in that same village. The couple has four children. 'Haan, unke do hain, aur hum khushi se rehte hain (Yes, he has two partners, and we live happily together),' Alka says. Bigamy or polygamy remains a practice in several tribal communities in India. Multiple spouses are sometimes officially recorded in government documents. Sometimes, those in such relationships include public servants and elected representatives. Nala brought it up with her superior, Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshay Raj Makwana. Just days before Alka's conversation with Nala, a man called Jagabhai Kodarvi and his wife Ambaben had submitted an application to the police seeking assistance in returning to Mota Pipodara. Both these factors came together for police action. 'My ASP (Nala) and her team began identifying the displaced families and reaching out to them. They held several rounds of discussions with the panch,' Makwana says. Rebuilding homes and relationships Now, amid crumbling ruins, new homes are beginning to rise. Elderly members of the tribe sigh in relief as a long-held dream takes shape. 'We never thought we'd return,' many say. 'All these years, one thought haunted us: where will we be buried when we die? We must be laid to rest in the land of our ancestors,' says one of the tribe members. Before the police brokered peace between the two warring tribes, the Kodarvi clan had made several failed attempts to return to their village. One such effort came four years ago, after the death of Jagabhai's father, whose final wish was to be buried in their ancestral land. Fearing violence, Jagabhai and a few others quietly entered the village and performed the last rites. But once the Dabhi tribe got word of their presence, they charged at them in anger. The Kodarvis fled into the nearby hills to escape the attack and scattered once again. The man once accused by the Dabhi tribe of killing a member of their clan had been acquitted by a local court in 2017, says Makwana. 'He has been living in the same village since. But the rest of his clan remained scattered.' Makwana explains that traditionally, if an exiled clan wishes to return, they are expected to pay a hefty sum of money — usually between ₹30 to ₹40 lakh — determined by the panch. A significant portion of this goes to the panch and the members of the clan, while the remainder is paid to the victim's family as compensation. 'The panch decides the amount after the offence. If the opposing clan cannot afford to pay, the panch declares a chadotaru, effectively banishing them again. These decisions, while illegal in the eyes of the law, continue to be followed in tribal communities,' the SP adds. In this case, however, no money changed hands on their return. Instead, both tribes agree it was the police who took the lead — clearing 8.5 hectares of land that belonged to the Kodarvis and facilitating their rehabilitation under a government housing scheme, supported by funds from private companies. The feud finally ended as the Dabhis agreed to the Kodarvis' return. The panches of both sides followed the tradition of eating coriander seeds and jaggery, a gesture symbolising the end of enmity and the beginning of peace, says Makwana. Resettling into home To reach the tribal village, an hour's journey from Palanpur, the car heaves and lurches through the narrow, rain-slicked track, its wheels slipping in the mud that now bear the criss-crossed imprints of police jeeps and tractors that have rolled in and out over the past few weeks. It hasn't stopped raining — a light drizzle comes and goes, carried by the breeze, settling gently on the skin and soil. Petrichor is mixed with the scent of crushed leaves and the faint smoke of damp wood burning somewhere in the distance. As the four-wheeler slows to a crawl, ruins of stone and mud walls covered in weeds, mark where homes once stood before they were torn down in 2014. When the vehicle finally stops, the Kodarvis emerge from under makeshift tarpaulins, from behind tree trunks, from the open field and a newly built house. Among them is Prakash, 22, son of Jagabhai and a final-year diploma student. He was just 10 when his family fled the village, never imagining they'd return. 'It was a moment of joy and excitement, a reunion I had dreamt of since the day we left,' he says, recalling the grand ceremony on July 17, when the Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, formally welcomed them back. 'Every one had tears in their eyes.' Over the years, Prakash's family moved across Surat, Mehsana, Vadgam and other towns as his parents worked as daily wagers. The constant movement made schooling difficult but he remained committed and never dropped out, he says. 'We were all dressed up. There were so many relatives I didn't even recognise. They were asking whose son I was and where we had been all these years,' says Prakash, his eyes lit with the excitement of return as the rain continues to soak him. 'During the exile, we lost touch with most of them. I was thrilled to meet some of my cousins I hadn't seen since we left, and their children who were born after 2014. They were just as happy to see my eight-month-old son and my partner, Kailash, too.' Prakash says he had vowed to marry only in his native village. Now, that moment has finally arrived. 'I've always seen my parents longing to return. It consumed them for years. They pleaded with the panchayat, the State administration, even the police. Finally, our prayers were heard and we're back home,' he says. As the drizzle continues, Lukabhai Bumbadia — one of the panch members involved in the alleged murder case — arrives. For him, like many tribals, Hindi remains a distant language, one he neither understood well nor spoke. Lukabhai now says it was the joint effort of the samaj (community) and sarkar (government) that made the return of the Kodarvis possible. 'Chadotaru should have no place in today's time. This practice must be abolished,' he says. SP Makwana says such age-old practices impose severe social and economic restrictions, often tearing communities apart. 'These families usually marry within the village and sustain themselves through farming. Forcing them to leave uproots their entire way of life. It impacts them in ways that are hard to imagine,' he says. He adds that efforts are under way to engage with community leaders and raise awareness about the long-term damage caused by chadotaru. 'If one clan declares chadotaru today, tomorrow it could be declared against them. It's a cycle that will never break unless we make a conscious effort to end it,' the SP says. However, the police also say that just a few months ago, another chadotaru incident occurred in the district's Amirgadh area. By the time they arrived, everything had already been destroyed. 'It was related to an alleged illicit relationship. Reaching such remote areas is difficult due to the absence of proper roads, and even when we do get there, the tribe gathers in large numbers, making it hard for us to control the situation,' a police officer says. Nala says, 'Law, love, and compassion came together to resolve the issue.' Edited by Sunalini Mathew
Hindustan Times
19-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Cook's ‘sasural' story brings 300 tribals back to their village after 11 years
Ahmedabad, An IPS officer's casual query to her cook about her 'sasural' triggered the return of 300 tribals to their village in Gujarat, 11 years after another group forced them to leave the place over a murder. Cook's 'sasural' story brings 300 tribals back to their village after 11 years The Kodarvi tribe members, belonging to 29 families, went back to their native Mota Pipodara in tribal-dominated Danta taluka of Banaskantha district on Thursday. They were welcomed by Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi and top police officers, said an official release. The homecoming of the displaced tribals, who had been living in different places, began taking shape after Suman Nala, assistant superintendent of police of Danta division, learnt about their plight from her cook Alka. When Nala asked Alka about her 'sasural', the tribal woman told the IPS officer that she had never visited the village because her tribe members had to flee Mota Pipodara in 2014 following a murder and subsequent attack on them, called by tribals as 'Chadotaru'. Alka told the police officer that one of their tribe members was accused of murdering a person from another tribal group. Mota Pipodara is about 50 km from Palanpur, the district headquarters of Banaskantha. According to Nala, 'Chadotaru' is an informal justice system prevalent among tribals. 'Under this system, village elders or panch try to resolve a conflict between two parties. If they fail to reach an amicable solution, the matter takes a violent form – Chadotaru – resulting in one group attacking the other and even destroying their property,' said Nala. These 300 tribals later took refuge in other parts of Banaskantha, while some even went to Surat to work as labourers. After being apprised of these tribal families in exile, Inspector General of Border Range Chirag Koradia and district SP Akshayraj Makwana initiated efforts to rehabilitate them again at their native place, said the release. Police officials interacted with members and elders of both tribes and persuaded them to bury the past. The initiative succeeded and ensured the return of these 300 tribals to their village after 11 years, it said. In his address at the event on Thursday, Sanghavi said the state government has taken concrete steps for their rehabilitation. Since these families used to own 8.5 hectares of land in the village, police officials got the land identified with the help of the revenue staff and handed it over to them after making it suitable for cultivation, said Sanghavi. While two houses with free electricity, water supply, and cooking gas connections have been constructed in the village with the help of NGOs, similar dwelling units for the remaining families will also be made soon, he added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Time of India
Cook's 'sasural' story brings 300 tribals back to their village after 11 years
An IPS officer's casual query to her cook about her 'sasural' (in-law's place) triggered the return of 300 tribals to their village in Gujarat, 11 years after another group forced them to leave the place over a murder. The Kodarvi tribe members, belonging to 29 families, went back to their native Mota Pipodara in tribal-dominated Danta taluka of Banaskantha district on Thursday. They were welcomed by Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi and top police officers, said an official release. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category MCA Finance Data Analytics Cybersecurity MBA Others healthcare Healthcare Leadership Management Artificial Intelligence Technology Data Science Degree Project Management Data Science others Digital Marketing CXO PGDM Product Management Design Thinking Operations Management Public Policy Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details The homecoming of the displaced tribals, who had been living in different places, began taking shape after Suman Nala, assistant superintendent of police of Danta division, learnt about their plight from her cook Alka. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like After Losing Weight Kevin James Looks Like A Model 33 Bridges When Nala asked Alka about her 'sasural', the tribal woman told the IPS (Indian Police Service) officer that she had never visited the village because her tribe members had to flee Mota Pipodara in 2014 following a murder and subsequent attack on them, called by tribals as 'Chadotaru'. Alka told the police officer that one of their tribe members was accused of murdering a person from another tribal group. Mota Pipodara is about 50 km from Palanpur, the district headquarters of Banaskantha. Live Events According to Nala, 'Chadotaru' is an informal justice system prevalent among tribals. "Under this system, village elders or panch try to resolve a conflict between two parties. If they fail to reach an amicable solution, the matter takes a violent form - Chadotaru - resulting in one group attacking the other and even destroying their property," said Nala. These 300 tribals later took refuge in other parts of Banaskantha, while some even went to Surat to work as labourers. After being apprised of these tribal families in exile, Inspector General of Border Range Chirag Koradia and district SP Akshayraj Makwana initiated efforts to rehabilitate them again at their native place, said the release. Police officials interacted with members and elders of both tribes and persuaded them to bury the past. The initiative succeeded and ensured the return of these 300 tribals to their village after 11 years, it said. In his address at the event on Thursday, Sanghavi said the state government has taken concrete steps for their rehabilitation. Since these families used to own 8.5 hectares (about 21 acres) of land in the village, police officials got the land identified with the help of the revenue staff and handed it over to them after making it suitable for cultivation, said Sanghavi. While two houses with free electricity, water supply, and cooking gas connections have been constructed in the village with the help of NGOs, similar dwelling units for the remaining families will also be made soon, he added.
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Indian Express
Forced into exile after murder case, 300 people of a clan return to their village in Gujarat's Banaskantha
It all started with a casual conversation between Alka, a cook, and her employer ASP Suman Nala last month. Nala, posted in the Danta division of Gujarat's Banaskantha district, asked Alka about her family and how often she visited her sasural (marital home). What Alka stoically told her next left the IPS officer shocked: Alka, along with scores of members of her extended Kodarvi clan, had to leave their village overnight after one of their distant relatives was accused of murder. The year was 2014 and the exodus from Mota Pipodara village in Danta taluka was part of the tradition of 'Chadotaru' – a tribal custom of justice wherein, in the case of murder, either a certain amount (or blood money, as Nala puts it), is paid to the kin of the deceased or the entire family of the offender goes into exile. Nala learned that the Kodarvis, land owners in their native village, have been compelled to work as either farm labourers in other villages or as diamond polishers in Surat following their exile. Alka's own husband works in Surat in one such unit. On Thursday, it was a homecoming for 300 people from these 29 Kodarvi families who were welcomed back to their village, 11 years after they left it, through the efforts of Banaskantha Police. Gujarat's Minister of State, Home, Harsh Sanghavi was also present at the function held in the village to celebrate the rehabilitation of the families. This was not the first time the families had attempted to return to their village. A few days before Alka's conversation with IPS Nala, the elders of the Kodarvi clan had submitted an application with the police seeking help in their rehabilitation to Mota Pipodara. As Alka shared all this information with ASP Nala, Banaskantha Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshayraj Makwana was alerted and soon, the police got involved in the matter. JR Desai, sub-inspector at Hadad police station, gathered details of the displaced families, contacted them, and initiated meetings with the village panchayat and elders of both communities to ensure peace and reconciliation. Over the next 20 days or so, police personnel engaged with all the parties involved, Desai said. Amid all this, an interesting nugget of information reached the police. The man from the Kodarvi clan, who had been accused of murdering a man from another clan during a party in 2014, had been acquitted by the trial court in 2017. What's more, he was able to go back to his village and restart from where he left while the rest of the members of his clan were living in extreme poverty, said SI Desai. After several rounds of negotiations, during which the community leaders were assured of being credited with a positive exercise while also being warned against disregarding the law, the Kodarvi community members could return to their village. These families possessed approximately 8.5 hectares of farmland in the village. In coordination with the District Inspector of Land Records, Banaskantha Police identified and measured this land. 'The once barren and overgrown land was levelled and made suitable for farming by the police,' said SP Makwana. As part of the resettlement efforts, two houses have already been constructed, and with support from the district administration, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and various social organisations, the remaining 27 families will soon be provided with housing and other essential amenities. The police have raised Rs 70 lakh for the rehabilitation of the Kodarvis with Rs 30 lakh coming from donations and NGOs, and Rs 40 lakh in the form of government grants. Officials said that many families have already returned to the village and had built temporary shelters while construction and renovation of their homes is underway. Other families are expected to join them soon. Since the village is situated in a remote area accessed only by foot, funds have also been sanctioned for the construction of a road, an officer said.
Daily Record
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
ITV This Morning's Cat Deeley 'could cry' as she makes learns biological age live on air
This Morning presenter Cat Deeley was left gobsmacked as she learned her biological age live on air, with the star admitting that she was 'close to tears' This Morning's Cat Deeley was left speechless after learning her biological age following an admission about her poor sleeping patterns. During Thursday's (July 17) instalment of the popular ITV daytime programme, Cat, 48, and presenting partner Ben Shephard, 50, returned to guide viewers through the day's headlines. Yet it was a particular segment that caught the duo completely off guard when they underwent a medical examination to determine their true biological ages. Accompanied by longevity and biohacking specialist Dr. Alka Patel, Cat enquired: "Tell us, what is biohacking?" Dr Alka elaborated: "Biohacking is all about taking control of your health. If you split the word up, what you're taking control of is your biology and the hacking is getting into your control centre, to really understand how you're made." Intrigued to learn more, Cat pressed further: "So what's the difference between your biological age and the other age.", reports the Mirror. Dr Alka disclosed: "This is super important to know is that getting older and ages are two different things and most people don't think of it like that. Your biological age is based on the level of your cells." Anxious to discover their actual ages, Dr Alka, 53, stepped forward first and disclosed that her biological age stands at just 20. An astonished Ben exclaimed: "What!" whilst Cat interjected: "How did you do that?". Dr Alka confessed: "I've been testing for a number of years and over the years that biological age hasn't shifted." Ben turned the spotlight on himself, revealing: "My chronological age, not sure I've told you this but I'm 50, so we're going to find out my biological age." The health-conscious TV presenter, who is known for his dedication to fitness and regular workouts, was somewhat disappointed to learn that his biological age came in at just 46 years old. Facing the camera, he exclaimed: "46, is that it? I'm quite surprised about that because I think I look after myself, I get a decent amount of sleep, train really hard and I feel fit and healthier than I ever have in my life. I'm really fascinated that it's only four years younger." When it was Cat's turn, she confessed that undergoing the test was a 'nightmare' since she had to do it twice. It was apparent that Cat was bracing herself for a higher age as she disclosed: "I'm a terrible sleeper but I am healthy." Cat, aged 48, was speechless upon discovering her biological age was a youthful 33 years old, making her biologically 15 years younger. An emotional Cat responded: "I could cry" while Ben interjected with a humorous: "33! I want a recount." Cat continued: "I don't know how I've done it because I certainly don't sleep, which I know is one of the most important factors."
