After she was issued a show-cause notice for apparently “criticising the government” on lack of religious freedom for Tribals in a Facebook post, Vandana Dadel, a senior IAS officer in Jharkhand, sure has a fight on her hands.
Dadel was critical of the statement by state chief minister Raghubar Das in Dumka that those converting tribals were acting against the state’s plans of amending the Chhotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act.
During earlier gram sabha meetings, Das is said to have asked for those converting tribals to be severely dealt with.
Dadel, a Panchayati Raj Secretary and an IAS officer of the 1996 batch, was critical of the fact that religious conversions of tribals was mentioned at a government function at Dumka.
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The post, which she deleted later, said: “One wonders when questions are raised on the religion of tribals and on religious conversion during an official programme. Does a tribal in this state have no right to choose a religion of his/her choice with respect. Why have others suddenly started thinking about the religion of tribals when my society is grappling with serious problems like illiteracy, unemployment and malnutrition.”
According to sources, the state government is said to be unhappy that Dadel has not yet apologised. And senior government officials have three theories:
First, she is frustrated with her current posting, which she thinks doesn’t do justice to a person who has been a secretary at the institution of finance and implementation department at Jharkhand. She also held additional charge as the director of industries and was posted back to the state in 2007 after a stint in Delhi. She yearned for a field posting as a district collector and writes as much in a memoir she has penned.
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The following is an extract from Chapter 10 in her book.
Second, she being a tribal Christian feels strongly about the CM’s statement and thinks the government is encroaching on the freedom of religion of tribals.
Third, they believe the post is a calculated move and not an impulsive decision.
On the showcase notice from the state personnel, administrative reforms and rajbhasa department, Dadel said: “I will submit the reply after studying the show cause notice. Whatever was posted on the Facebook was clear and unambiguous”.
Here is the link to Dadel's auto-biography.
