They were among 250 families who had to give up their land in the early 70s for the setting up Army barracks at Dipatoli, then a village and now a cantonment, in Ranchi in undivided Bihar.
Balak Mahato and his family was one among the families which gave up land willingly. Mahato's father bought a small piece of land at Kuchu village, not far from here, with the compensation of Rs 26,000 that he received in 1974.
"I am surprised to see all these anti-displacement disturbances across Jharkhand and elsewhere. Our family also lost land. But we gave it with a smile for the Army
