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The Hindu
4 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
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Time of India
How a young IPS officer helped end 12-year-long social exile in Banaskantha
Ahmedabad: In the remote tribal belt of Banaskantha, 29 families who had lived in the shadows of social exile for over a decade have finally returned home — not by court orders or govt mandates, but through the quiet resolve and empathy of a young IPS probationary officer. It all began in 2014, when a murder in Mota Pipodara village led to the invocation of a traditional tribal justice system known as 'Chadotara'— a traditional dispute resolution system. Intended as a means to restore harmony, it instead tore the community apart. Nearly 300 members of the Kodarvi community were ostracized, their homes abandoned, and their farmlands left to dry. Forced to leave, they survived as daily wage labourers in Surat, Palanpur, and other cities, cut off from their roots and identity. For 12 years, no solution emerged — until fate intervened in the form of IPS probationary officer Suman Nala. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Posted as assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Danta, Nala, a 2021-batch officer, learned of the Kodarvi families' plight through an unlikely source — her domestic help. The woman revealed that her parents were among those exiled due to a Chadotaru. Moved by the story, Nala began investigating. She discovered that the main accused in the original murder case had been acquitted years ago. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Yet the punishment endured for the rest. Despite being on probation, Nala took up the cause. Teaming up with Banaskantha SP Akshayraj Makwana and Hadad police sub-inspector Jayshree Desai, she began the process of dialogue with both communities. Round after round of patient negotiation with village panchs slowly began to bear fruit. But Nala didn't stop at conflict resolution. Understanding that the families needed more than just permission to return, she spearheaded a coordinated effort with the district collector and local NGOs to secure funding for their resettlement. A total of Rs 70 lakh was mobilized — Rs 40 lakh from the collector's fund and Rs 30 lakh from civil society. The results are transformative. Farmlands once abandoned are now being cultivated. Thirty homes are under construction. Electricity and water connections are being restored. Children are back in school. A new community hall is rising, and concrete roads are being laid — paving not just the way home, but the path to a dignified future. "This isn't just a return. It's a restoration of belonging," said an official statement from the police. "By choosing dialogue over division and empathy over enforcement, we've shown that policing can be a bridge to peace." Today, as the Kodarvi families resettle, communities have joined hands to build a peaceful, progressive future — creating a historic moment that will inspire generations to come. The reunion of the Kodarvi families with their homeland is more than just an administrative success — it is a reminder that change begins with listening, and that one officer's compassion can heal wounds buried for years.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
From exile to home: Tribal families reclaim roots in Gujarat village after a decade
In an emotional homecoming, 29 tribal families, who had left their ancestral village of Mota Pippodra in Banaskantha's Danta taluka 12 years ago due to a deep-rooted custom, were ceremoniously welcomed back on Thursday (July 17, 2025). These families, belonging to the Kodarvi community, had abandoned their native village on account of the tribal practice of Chadotaru — a traditional vendetta custom that had driven them into exile. The emotional return of nearly 300 members of these families to their ancestral land was facilitated through a collaborative initiative involving the Banaskantha police, local administration, and community leaders. The event was marked by symbolic rituals, heartfelt gestures of reconciliation, and a firm governmental commitment to integrate these families back into the mainstream with dignity and support. Addressing the gathering, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi called the occasion historic not just for Gujarat, but for tribal communities across India. 'Today marks the eradication of an old social ill and a step towards progress, peace, and collective prosperity,' he said. He praised the elders of both communities for choosing dialogue over conflict and honoured them on stage for their role in restoring harmony. 'Unity is the true identity of society, while hatred is a burden of darkness,' the Minister said. Mr. Sanghavi welcomed the returning families with kumkum tilak, conducted traditional housewarming rituals (gruh pravesh), and later they sowed maize seeds in their fields to mark a new beginning. Each household was provided with educational kits, ration supplies, a wheelchair in the case of a differently-abled member, and certificates of appreciation for their courage and patience. The Kodarvi families, who had scattered across Palanpur and Surat after fleeing Mota Pipada, were resettled on their legally owned 8.5-hectare land. The Banaskantha police, working with the District Inspector of Land Records, cleared and levelled the overgrown, desolate land to make it cultivable again, officials said. They said that two houses had already been constructed, and under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, efforts were underway to provide permanent housing for all families. Partnerships with voluntary organisations were also being leveraged to provide essential infrastructure and livelihood support. Mr. Sanghavi lauded the Banaskantha police for going beyond their security duties to help achieve lasting peace through community outreach. 'This is an exemplary case of law enforcement leading social change,' the Minister said.
Hans India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Banaskantha: 12 years exile for 29 tribal families ends, rehabilitated in native village
Banaskantha: Twelve years ago, around 300 members of 29 Kodarvi families were forced to live in exile, forced out of their homeland in Mota Pipodra village of Danta taluka in Banaskantha district of Gujarat, because of a tribal custom of 'Chadotaru' - a tradition rooted in vengeance. That suffering came to an end today, with Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi leading the drive in rehabilitating these tribal families in their native village. During this historic occasion, a prayer ceremony and seed sowing were also conducted on the land, symbolising a new beginning. The Minister will also interact with the families to discuss their rehabilitation plans and distribute educational materials and ration kits. Years ago, these tribal families had to migrate from their ancestral land to regions like Palanpur and Surat with a heavy heart. July 17 marked a memorable moment for the dignified return and resettlement of these families in their ancestral village. Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghavi, speaking to IANS on the occasion, said, "Today, in Mota Pipodara village of Danta taluka, 29 families with 300 people who had to leave the village 14 years ago due to old social customs, were respectfully rehabilitated.' He also thanked Banaskantha police for prioritising social policing and empathy over strict legalities, making this a historic and emotional day for the region. The Banaskantha Police, in coordination with the District Inspector of Land Records, surveyed approximately 8.5 hectares of land belonging to these families, cleared the overgrown and barren land, and made it cultivable again. The 'Chadotaru' custom, which prompted the migration, had deeply affected the Kodarvi community. Banaskantha Police 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. 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.
Deccan Herald
16-07-2025
- Deccan Herald
After 12 years of exile, 300 tribals to return home in Gujarat
In 2012-2013, two communities of scheduled tribes—Kodarvi and Dabhi—were involved in a conflict after a member of the latter community was killed by a man belonging to the former.
